Leicester City Sign Veteran Goalkeeper Dai Cornell

Leicester City have moved to plug their goalkeeping gap with the signing of veteran Welsh stopper Dai Cornell on a one-year deal – a move that speaks as much to dressing-room chemistry as it does to shot-stopping.

The 35-year-old arrives as a free agent after turning down a new contract at Preston North End in the summer, opting instead for a fresh challenge and a drop into League One with a club determined to climb straight back to the Championship.

This is not a vanity signing. Leicester lost Jakub Stolarczyk to a season-ending knee injury in early September, a blow that left Russell Martin short of experienced cover behind first-choice Alex McCarthy. The Foxes needed reliability, presence, and someone who has seen enough of the game not to flinch when the pressure tightens.

Cornell fits that brief.

Martin, speaking to BBC Radio Leicester, made it clear the move is about more than a third pair of gloves on the training pitch. The Leicester manager talked up Cornell’s understanding of the role he is stepping into, stressing that while the Welshman knows he is coming in as support, he still backs his own ability to prove what kind of goalkeeper he is. The message was simple: this is a competitor, not a passenger.

More importantly for Martin, Cornell brings personality. The Leicester boss highlighted his new signing as a “brilliant character” who will add voice, leadership and experience to a squad that has been reshaped with promotion in mind. For a side trying to bounce back at the first attempt, those intangibles matter.

Cornell, for his part, has made it clear he is ready to contribute however he is asked, saying he wants to “help in any way” he can at the club. Coming from a player who has spent a career fighting for opportunities, the line rings true.

This is the 11th club of a well-travelled journey that began at Swansea City. Cornell has taken in Portsmouth, Oldham, Northampton and Peterborough, as well as a spell north of the border with St Mirren, before his recent stint at Preston. He has rarely been the headline act, but managers keep coming back to him. There is a reason for that.

At Leicester, the established hierarchy remains. Former Southampton goalkeeper and one-cap England international Alex McCarthy has been Martin’s go-to option between the posts so far this season. Behind him, Argentine Franco Ravizzoli, a summer arrival from Blackpool, has occupied the bench since Stolarczyk’s injury.

Cornell now steps into that mix, adding another seasoned voice to the goalkeeping union and a layer of security for Martin as the season grinds on. Promotion pushes are rarely smooth. They demand depth, resilience, and players who understand their role in the wider mission.

Leicester have decided Dai Cornell is one of those players. The next few months will show just how valuable that judgment proves.