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“You can’t take that away from us”: Leicester soaks up EPL glory

Leicester City’s players have celebrated their Premier League title success with a victory parade on an open-top bus through the streets of the Midlands county town in front of about 250,000 ecstatic fans.

May 17, 2016, updated May 17, 2016
Leicester City players and staff celebrate with the trophy during the open top bus parade through Leicester City Centre. Photo: Tim Goode, PA Wire.

Leicester City players and staff celebrate with the trophy during the open top bus parade through Leicester City Centre. Photo: Tim Goode, PA Wire.

Supporters had begun lining the streets from midday to see their heroes and Italian manager Claudio Ranieri display the gleaming trophy that had seemed an unlikely prize at the start of the season when they were 5000-1 outsiders.

The players waved and smiled as they passed the thousands thronging the streets on their way from Jubilee Square in the city centre to a special stage erected in Victoria Park where they lapped up the adulation of the adoring Foxes faithful.

Leicester City's team on the bus during the parade through Leicester City Centre. Photo: Nigel French, PA Wire

Leicester City’s team on the bus during the parade through Leicester City Centre. Photo: Nigel French, PA Wire

The players were individually introduced to the crowd who cheered every name and the players re-enacted being presented with the trophy – which they had received officially after their final home game against Everton at the King Power Stadium.

An aerial view of the Leicester City open top bus parade through Leicester City Centre.. Picture date: Monday May 16, 2016. See PA story SOCCER Leicester. Photo credit should read: Joe Giddens/PA Wire

Fans flocked to celebrate their team’s historic success. Photo: Joe Giddens, PA Wire.

“I enjoyed today in front of all our fans. I want to say thank you to everybody because in all the season they pushed behind us and they believed in us,” said Ranieri, who – like Leicester – picked up his first top-flight league title.

Captain Wes Morgan said: “What we’ve achieved this season has been fantastic and the boys and the staff… and the fans, everyone has contributed to it and it has been a fantastic season and you can’t take that away from us.”

Leicester finished 10 points ahead of Arsenal, with Tottenham Hotspur – the only team left chasing the Foxes in the final weeks of the season – finishing a further point back.

Algeria winger Riyad Mahrez added: “I’m very happy to be here with these fans and it’s amazing, unbelievable. What we’ve done this season… we should be proud of ourselves. It’s magnificent.”

Highlights of the club’s amazing season, including goals from striker Jamie Vardy, the Football Writers’ Player of the Year, and PFA Player of the Year Mahrez, plus memorable quotes from Ranieri, were replayed on big screens to cheers.

-Reuters

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