One of Paulo Sousa's backroom team at QPR believes Leicester City can be at the forefront of a sea-change in playing styles in the English leagues.

Gareth Ainsworth says England's poor performance in the World Cup highlighted technical deficiencies which Sousa will try to address at the Walkers Stadium.

Former QPR player-coach Ainsworth worked closely with Sousa when the Portuguese international arrived at Loftus Road in October 2008.

Sousa lasted barely six months, but Ainsworth believes City have made a winning appointment in the man who last season guided Swansea to within a point of the play-offs.

"He is an advocate of football and, although he is Portuguese, in a way he will be pleased that Spain won the World Cup because it was a victory for football," said Ainsworth.

"And this is where things have to change with the English game. Being fit and strong in the Championship is now a given, but players need more.

"They need to retain the ball and be comfortable on it and I'm sure the Leicester lads will be happy that they are not constantly doing laps of the pitch.

"This is what Paulo will be instilling in them, but it will take time. It is also the way forward for the country."

Ainsworth, a vastly experienced player who also had spells with Wimbledon and Preston, believes that Sousa, who twice won the Champions League as a player, would have had an impact at the Belvoir Drive training ground from day one.

"Paulo is not what they would have been used to, this guy oozes charisma," said Ainsworth.

"He is intelligent and will have a lot of respect from the players who looked at his CV, but he would also be the first to say this is not what will make him a good manager.

"With respect to Swansea, Leicester are a bigger club and he has a chairman who wants to be successful.

"The players will learn so much from him as he is different from the majority of managers. He is so tactically aware."

But Ainsworth said it would be wrong of him to give too great an insight into Sousa's coaching methods.

Ainsworth, who at 38 is still playing with Wycombe in League Two, said: "I can't tell you too much about his style because Paulo always likes to keep things close to his chest.

"It would be unfair of me to reveal his secrets, but what I can say is that his techniques added to people's games.

"When you work with a legend like that, you can't help but be inspired.

"He has got great contacts around the world but there's no point bringing in foreign talents if you can't communicate with them. I've seen it before and it's a big problem.

"Paulo will go around and happily speak in Spanish one minute, English the next and then French.

"It means he can get across exactly what he wants to say and everyone benefits from it."