Leicester City's success has been very much a collective effort. Here are five major players behind their Premier League title achievement:
Kasper Schmeichel
A recent internet meme asserted that since Liverpool last won a league title, Peter Schmeichel had joined Manchester United, won five Premier League titles, retired, had a son, Kasper, and who has won the league with Leicester City at age 29. It was not entirely accurate. Kasper was actually born in 1986, four years before the last of Liverpool’s 18 championship crowns. Whereas Peter was an acknowledged great, Kasper has taken his time to reach the top. Arriving at Leicester in 2011, the Denmark international helped his low-scoring side record 15 vital clean sheets.
Wes Morgan
The rock at the heart of the Leicester defence, Morgan joined from local rivals Nottingham Forest in January 2012 and was quickly installed as captain. Despite lacking pace, he is an authoritative presence and, with Robert Huth, has formed an old-school central defensive partnership.
N’Golo Kante
A £5.6 million (Dh30.2m) capture from French side Caen last year, Kante’s relentless energy, driving runs and knack for recovering possession put him on the shortlist for the Professional Footballers’ Association Player of the Year award. He won his first France cap in March and is a near-certainty for a place in the Euro 2016 squad.
Riyad Mahrez
The impish inspiration behind Leicester’s success, Mahrez signed from Le Havre for just £400,000 in January 2014. The Algerian winger’s 17 goals and 11 assists set up big wins as he became the first African to be elected as England’s Player of the Year by his peers.
Jamie Vardy
The snarling face of Ranieri’s team has risen from non-league obscurity to top-flight record-breaker, England international and Football Writers’ Association (FWA) Player of the Year in just four years. Despite scoring 22 goals, he looks poised to miss out on the Golden Boot, but he created Premier League history by scoring in 11 consecutive games.
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