Claudio Ranieri: Leicester City "deserve to be champions"

Claudio Ranieri has heaped praise on his Leicester City players after they secured a first English top-flight title in the club's history last night.

The Foxes were confirmed as champions without kicking a ball thanks to Tottenham Hotspur's 2-2 draw away at Chelsea.

Ranieri's men were a 5,000-1 shot with most bookmakers to clinch top spot at the start of the season, but they have defied the odds to record an unexpected triumph.

"I'm so proud. I'm happy for my players, for the chairman, for the staff at Leicester City, all our fans and the Leicester community. It's an amazing feeling and I'm so happy for everyone," he told reporters.

"I never expected this when I arrived. I'm a pragmatic man, I just wanted to win match after match and help my players to improve week after week. Never did I think too much about where it would take us.

"The players have been fantastic. Their focus, their determination, their spirit has made this possible. Every game they fight for each other and I love to see this in my players. They deserve to be champions."

It is the first major league title that Ranieri has won in his 30-year managerial career.