Jamie Vardy hails brotherly love that has inspired Leicester's title success

08 May 2016 12:53

Jamie Vardy is savouring an "unimaginable" Premier League title win made all the more special by playing with his Leicester "brothers".

Nine months on from starting the season as 5,000-1 shots for the title, captain Wes Morgan and manager Claudio Ranieri lifted the trophy to a backdrop of fireworks and cheers at a packed King Power Stadium.

Not only is this the first top-flight league title in City's 132-year history but one of the greatest achievements in sporting history, with former non-league player turned England international Vardy at the heart of things.

The 29-year-old top scorer took his goal tally to 24 on Saturday, netting a brace in the 3-1 defeat of Everton as Leicester celebrated their coronation in style.

"It is unbelievable," Vardy said. "I don't think words can describe it, to be honest with you.

"You can just see with the celebrations with all the fans and the players, it is unimaginable, frightening."

Leicester have shown impressive attitude this campaign and an aptitude that belied their performances that last season saw them spend most of the campaign towards the bottom.

Vardy puts the spectacular turnaround down to the family spirit within the club.

"It's unbelievable - you've seen the team spirit that we've got," he told Foxes Player.

"It is a scandal how we all are together. We literally are like brothers.

"When training and matches are finished, we'll all go out and have food together, we're always in touch with each other.

"That just shows how much as a unit we all are as a team and it shows in our performances week in, week out."

That spirit is embraced by Ranieri even if it sometimes spills over, with Christian Fuchs bursting into the post-match press conference and spraying champagne over the manager as Kasper Schmeichel put the Premier League trophy on his table.

Ranieri joked the "bad lads" would now be in for training on Sunday - something Everton's players could hardly argue with after their meek display at the King Power Stadium.

Under-fire manager Roberto Martinez said there were no positives to take from a match that ratchets up the pressure on the Spaniard.

"If you come to any ground in the Premier League, especially the champions, you have to do the basics right and you have to start performances with a real concentration, a real focus, a real intensity and a real defensive awareness," the Everton boss said.

"And clearly, none of those aspects were there in our performance.

"It was really, really hard to take in that respect. It was very much not the level that we expect.

"Of course, (the atmosphere) is a distraction that you have to cope with but in the same manner we have our own agenda.

"Our agenda was we won against Bournemouth, we showed a lot of character and a lot of good things and today clearly we didn't replicate that.

"It's not an excuse - we should have enough experience.

"If anything it would be a young player that couldn't cope with the occasion but I thought the only player that can hold his head high today is Matthew Pennington. He put in a performance full of meaning and of desire."

Source: PA