Leicester City midfielder Conor Chaplin has called on his teammates to approach the upcoming League One season with humility after the club's relegation from the Championship.
The 29-year-old joined the Foxes on a free transfer from Ipswich Town, signing a three-year contract.
He became the club's first signing after their drop to the third tier was confirmed in April.
Chaplin, who helped Ipswich win promotion from League One in the 2022-23 season, stressed that the squad must respect the division to reach their targets.
"I think the expectation is similar, if not probably more here," Chaplin said.
The midfielder highlighted the need to manage internal expectations carefully across the entire club during the demanding league fixtures.
"I think you're expected to win every game comfortably, and that's never ever the case.
So to manage those expectations within the dressing room and within the football club, I think it's going to be important," he added.
Chaplin warned that opposition teams will pose significant challenges, requiring high work rates regardless of Leicester's status.
"It's a tough league. There's tough away games, there's tough home games.
When you're playing against low blocks, you're playing against good players at this level still as well. You need to respect that," he said.
He emphasized that squad members must maintain a strong work ethic in every match to earn results.
"You need to be humble enough to know what's coming, but then also to behave like a big football club that we are, and to expect to go into every game to run more than other teams, to fight, to win more duels," Chaplin stated.
This season marks only the second time in Leicester's history that they will play in the third tier, a decade after their Premier League title triumph.
Manager Russell Martin, appointed in June on a contract through 2029, will lead the promotion bid.
"I think at any level you need consistency and humbleness," Chaplin said.
He stressed the importance of outworking opponents despite having high-caliber talent in the squad.
"When you know you're going to be in a team with good players, some of the best players in the division, you need to be humble enough to work harder than everyone else," he added.
Chaplin expressed full confidence in Martin's leadership for the upcoming campaign.
"I'd back our manager to be the best coach in the league as well. So I feel like we have that backing behind us," he said.
While immediate focus remains on daily preparation, Chaplin confirmed that returning to the Championship is the clear long-term goal.
"I think there's obvious things that the club want to achieve. I wouldn't have come here if it was anything other than that," he said.
The midfielder concluded by reaffirming his personal ambition to secure promotion as soon as possible.
"I want to be in the division above, definitely.
And the sooner we can make that happen, the better for everyone involved at the football club," Chaplin said.
