Adams looking to sign Livingston's Andrews

Leicester set to take advantage of pay-cut loophole

The Leicester City manager, Micky Adams, is ready to move for Livingston's Trinidad and Tobago international centre-half, Marvin Andrews, by taking advantage of a transfer loophole.

Adams saw Andrews in action against Partick Thistle on Tuesday night after hearing about his contract problems as Livingston go into administration.

The Premiership strugglers are looking for a new defender and, in the Foxes' bid to avoid relegation to the First Division, Andrews fits the bill perfectly.

The Leicester manager has been told that Andrews could adapt to the game in England and made a personal check ahead of putting in an offer.

Andrews would be allowed to move outside the transfer window because Livingston have asked him to take a major cut in his wages.

Andrews is one of a handful of players to have taken a cut at Almondvale as the club lurches into trouble, and Rangers are among his admirers. But the chance of a move to England may appeal to him, although he would also like to take part in the League Cup final against Hibernian.

Meanwhile, the Leicester midfielder Steffen Freund has urged the England coach, Sven Goran Eriksson, not to be influenced by Ian Walker's error against Bolton when he names his England squad for the friendly against Portugal next Wednesday.

Walker made a horrendous mistake in conceding an own goal to gift Bolton an equaliser in Tuesday's 1-1 draw at the Walkers Stadium.

The German international said: "My message is: 'Don't blame Ian or make him a scapegoat.' The best goalkeepers in the world make errors. Of course, he was disappointed and we needed a lift through a victory but, make no mistake, Ian will win games for us again.

"There is an England squad this week and I would always put him in there," he added. "For me, he is definitely the number three in this country at the very minimum."

The Leicester striker Les Ferdinand, who scored his 10th goal in 14 starts on Tuesday, echoed Freund's sentiments. "Any manager that drops Ian for that, you will look at him and say, 'That's probably not right'," he said. "I know he has made a mistake and he was despondent in the dressing-room because he knows how much three points would have meant to Leicester.

"But any keeper who makes a mistake has it highlighted because the ball ends up in the back of the net. There is no hiding place. The rest of us can make mistakes all over the pitch and get away with it."