Leicester promotion fuelled by 'pure belief'

Few sides have been better than Leicester City in getting promoted to the top flight and, arguably, none have done so in such chaotic circumstances.

The Foxes' Premier League return was confirmed with two games left, after Leeds United were beaten at QPR on Friday. Wins in their remaining matches would see Leicester equal the record for most league wins in a second division season.

Victories would also see them amass 100 points - something that has only been done on six previous occasions at this level, including by Leicester themselves the last time they went up a decade ago.

For six of the nine months of this season, Leicester looked destined to smash just about all records on their way straight back to the Premier League.

But a mixture of near-disastrous form, legal fights that have followed a Premier League charge for alleged breaches of profit and sustainability rules, the threat of a points penalty on their top-flight return and a transfer embargo imposed on them has somewhat cloaked their successes.

Wes Morgan captained Leicester to promotion 10 years ago, then went on to lift the Premier League title as skipper two years later.

He says the 12-point lead at the top - and 14-point cushion to third - that Leicester had whittled away so dramatically with six defeats in 10 games between February and April is just an example of why "the Championship is one of the hardest leagues in the world".

"They definitely made it much more difficult than you would have expected," Morgan told BBC East Midlands Today.

"Up to Christmas, and really for a majority of the season, their form was incredible.

"But for one reason or another the wheels fell off, there was a dip in form, the other teams chasing caught up and it was touch and go there for a good few weeks."

With 25 wins from their first 32 games, Leicester had been on course to break the record for most second division points, set by Reading with 106 in 2006.

"The first 25 were amazing and the the six losses in 10 after that weren't," said Leicester defender Hamza Choudhury, when speaking hours before Leicester's promotion was confirmed on Friday.

"But we have so many experienced lads here, people that have come out of this division, which has kept us together.

"If I'm honest, it's the pure belief in what we are doing here and the direction we are moving in."

And the direction they have been heading has been dictated by manager Enzo Maresca, who was assistant to Pep Guardiola as Manchester City won the Treble last season.

A possession-focused approach, based on patient build-up play and geared towards a suffocating domination of the ball, has been a departure from the familiar at the King Power Stadium.

According to Opta statistics, only Southampton - a side that Leicester have convincingly beaten twice this season - have controlled more possession, completed more successful passes and strung together more sequences of 10 or more passes.

Off the ball, the Foxes have been more relentless than anyone else when pressing high, topping the charts for winning possession back in the final third - doing so 222 times.

Leicester have the league's second most prolific attack, with 86 goals in 44 games, and meanest defence in the league, having conceded just 39.

For all that 'Maresca-ball' has delivered, it has not been universally liked by Foxes supporters.

In January there were shouts of criticism from the stands, as fans demanded a more forceful approach in a game against Swansea that Leicester won 3-1, which prompted the Italian to come out to defend his philosophy.

"Enzo has come in, had clear ideas on how he wants the team to play and they have been fantastic for a majority of the season," former Foxes captain Morgan said.

"The football they have played, the composure they have showed, the Enzo way has worked.

"Sometimes the fans want to see more expansive, exciting football and direct play, but at the same time the manager is in charge and has found a way to make the team work and win."

Leicester have become the 28th side to make an immediate return to the Premier League following relegation and could become just the 13th to do so as champions in the 32 years since the competition's inception in 1992.

Choudhury said the adjustment to the demands of Maresca, a former West Brom and Juventus player whose only previous stint in charge of a first-team lasted 180 days with Parma, has been the biggest and most rewarding challenge of the season.

"We have come in and completely changed our style of football and still managed to be a success," the defender said.

"The manager has honestly been amazing from day one. The biggest adversity, I think, for the players, the club and the fans has been the style of football.

"It's something completely new to Leicester City and it's definitely the direction football is going in now, with the likes of Brighton, obviously Manchester City, Arsenal and Bayer Leverkusen.

"It is a style that is successful, so to have someone with his experience - and not just being at City, but with his playing experience - and staff he has brought in has been amazing."

Maresca's work in the transfer window last summer has also proved masterful.

Sporting Lisbon loanee Abdul Fatawu has been an electric fans' favourite, ex-Arsenal and Juventus winger Stephy Mavididi a near-constant threat, and Harry Winks a composed director in midfield, while Mads Hermansen has earned plaudits as Championship goalkeeper of the season.

But a number of high-profile players also remained after relegation - with Jamie Vardy and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall having the greatest influences.

Midfielder Dewsbury-Hall has attracted the attention of a number of clubs, including Arsenal, Tottenham and Brighton, with his 26 goal involvements - having hit the back of the net 12 times and provided 14 assists.

Ex-England striker Vardy is the symbol of Leicester City's unprecedented success of the past decade, having been there for promotion in 2013-14, the Premier League title win of 2016, FA Cup win in 2021 and Champions League and other European campaigns in between.

At the age of 37, he is Leicester's leading scorer with 18 goals in all competitions. Before last season's relegation, he was the Foxes' leading scoring in seven successive Premier League campaigns.

"The best compliment I can probably give him is that that he is disappointed in that number," Choudhury said of Vardy's tally this term.

"'Vards' is amazing for us. He is 37 and you can see he still performs at the very highest level.

"He epitomises Leicester City and what we are as a club and who we want to be."