Leicester City’s owners went against one of their own rules to ensure Foxes player made Ruud van Nistelrooy’s squad

Leicester City are a club in turmoil as relegation to the Championship looms under Ruud van Nistelrooy.

It’s been a nightmare spell since Van Nistelrooy was appointed Leicester manager in November, replacing Steve Cooper.

The Dutchman promised exciting, attacking football, yet only last week, Leicester set an unwanted Premier League record for failing to score for six home matches in a row while conceding at least twice in each game.

Things then got even worse on Thursday night as West Ham beat Leicester 2-0, with the scoreline not accurately reflecting how the game unfolded as the Hammers dominated from start to finish.

Fans called for Van Nistelrooy to be sacked, expressing their anger towards the 48-year-old, while one player refused to shake his hand.

Jannik Vestergaard refused to shake Ruud van Nistelrooy’s hand during West Ham defeat

It was a car crash of an evening at the London Stadium for the Foxes, as the players looked disinterested on the pitch, and Van Nistelrooy was clueless on the sidelines.

One player who didn’t cover himself in glory was centre-back Jannik Vestergaard. At fault for both goals they conceded, it was a night to forget for the Dane, who made a telling action after being substituted.

According to The Telegraph, Vestergaard refused Van Nistelrooy’s offer of a touchline handshake after being substituted in the loss at West Ham.

Interestingly, the towering centre-back was also given the go-ahead by the Leicester owners to bring his dog to training on one occasion as his family in London were away and there was no one to take care of it, allowing him to play against the Hammers.

Vestergaard is one of three senior players, including Conor Coady and Harry Winks, who commute from their homes in other parts of the country to the training ground in north Leicestershire.

It suggests there’s a less-than-ideal spirit from the group, with the 32-year-old defender previously falling out with other managers.

Vestergaard was banished from first-team training under Steve Cooper

Vestergaard refusing to shake his manager’s hand on Thursday suggests the pair have a fractured relationship, something the defender had with ex-managers Brendan Rodgers and Cooper.

In one instance, Cooper banished Vestergaard from first-team training in the lead-up to being sacked, while Winks and Hamza Choudhury also fell out with the Welshman.

Considering City have lost 11 of their last 12 in the league, there are signs to suggest that the players are no longer playing for Van Nistelrooy.

It was telling when even legend Jamie Vardy was seen jogging against West Ham when he’s usually all guns blazing.

With a fractured dressing room and relegation on the horizon, Van Nistelrooy could go down as one of the club’s worst-ever managers.