Australian defender Souttar stayed with the Foxes following two successive relegations, despite strong summer interest from Championship sides Sheffield United and Wrexham after his involvement at the World Cup.
After making only five Leicester appearances across the previous three campaigns, he has taken on the captaincy in Martin’s reshaped and youthful team.
His two outings for Leicester last season came after relegation had already been confirmed. Before then, he had spent 16 months recovering from a knee injury sustained during an earlier loan spell with Sheffield United.
He also received few opportunities under former Leicester manager Enzo Maresca during the 2023-24 campaign. Like Martin, Maresca favoured building from the back as part of the possession-focused style the club has followed for several years.
Souttar lined up against Oxford in front of experienced goalkeeper Alex McCarthy and alongside Luke Thomas. The defence also featured two inexperienced players: 20-year-old Jayden Joseph and teenage Manchester City loanee Christian McFarlane.
They were among five starters younger than 22 selected as the Foxes aim to secure an immediate return from the third tier. The club adopted a younger approach after several prominent, highly paid players departed during the summer, including former England midfielder Harry Winks, Denmark defender Jannik Vestergaard and Ghana forward Jordan Ayew.
Souttar admitted the Foxes were disappointed with their performance against Oxford, particularly after recording their first league victory of the season over Plymouth Argyle only days earlier.
Souttar said the team had played impressively against Plymouth in midweek and expected to build on that display, but things did not unfold as hoped.
He acknowledged that the performance fell well below the required standard and said the players would honestly review the match to identify the situations they must handle better.
He added that the squad’s priority was to respond with an improved display the following weekend.
Leicester return to action on Saturday against third-placed Stockport County, who enter the fixture after defeating Wigan Athletic 4-0.
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