A Top Flight Throwback Thursday: Leicester’s Fairytale Title Win

Jamie Vardy spearheaded the attack, with many assuming that playing in the Premier League was the upper limit of achievement for a striker who had once graced non-league football.

Leicester’s biggest signing that summer was Shinji Okazaki, who set them back £7 million.

Elsewhere, Manchester City had just splashed £49 million on Raheem Sterling. The Foxes set about adding experience to their backline, with Premier League stalwart Robert Huth joining from Stoke, and Christian Fuchs coming from Schalke on a free.

They also picked up an unknown Frenchman named N’golo Kante to bolster the midfield, and provide cover for another new signing, Gokhan Inler.

Leicester’s squad was filled with Premier League rejects. Danny Drinkwater was deemed not good enough for Manchester United, likewise with Ritchie de Laet. Danny Simpson had been bounced from United as well, and ended up in Leicester via Newcastle and QPR. Wes Morgan was old, and was considered a Championship level centre-back, willing but limited.

Kasper Schmeichel seemed destined to live in his father’s shadow, wherever he went he would be reminded of Peter’s heroics. Marc Albrighton failed to make the grade at Villa. Andy King and Jeffrey Schlupp had come through the Leicester youth system, but no one outside the club seemed to notice them. They had a winger named Riyad Mahrez who had returned just four goals over the course of the previous season.

Leicester were a team of misfits and also-rans, coached by a man who had not won a single league title, who seemed to be consigned permanently to the position of runner-up.