kruse secured a move to the top tier of english football in june 1970 when he signed for the club he supports, leicester city. he had to wait over two years to make his professional debut for the foxes, which came with a start in a 1–0 defeat to tottenham hotspur on 27 april 1974. owing to malcolm munro's injury, he filled in again two days later versus norwich city, this time helping leicester to a clean sheet in a 3–0 win. kruse failed to make another first team appearance for the foxes and departed in march 1975, having made just two appearances in three years at filbert street.