Leicester City: Claudio Ranieri comes close to tears while watching tributes from Foxes supporters

The Italian's title-chasing team can secure the Premier League crown with a win at Old Trafford on Sunday

Ranieri has won the hearts of Leicester supporters (Getty)

Leicester City’s turnaround from top-flight stragglers to potential Premier League champions will be remembered as one of English football’s most remarkable stories.

Claudio Ranieri’s men are only one win away from securing the first top division league championship in the club’s 132-year history, having started the season as 5,000-1 outsiders.

If the Foxes pick up three points from their final three games, they will have achieved the most extraordinary title win since Brian Clough’s newly-promoted Nottingham Forest rose to the summit in 1977/78.

Ranieri, who arrived at the King Power Stadium last summer after being dismissed by the Greece national team, has lived every minute.

After Leicester’s participation in next season’s Champions League was confirmed at Sunderland earlier this month, he was visibly moved to tears.

Despite many initially questioning his appointment, the Italian coach has won the city’s people round, and he appeared to get emotional once again when shown a video of tributes from Leicester’s locals.

“We’d like to thank you very much for all that you’ve done for the Leicester City Football Club since you came and we’re all very proud,” says one woman. “We’re all rooting for you and hope you manage to do it!”

“I literally would hug you when you were here because for this city,” says another supporter. “What you’ve created, the family, the essence of the stadium, it’s fantastic.”

“I’m very very happy when other people or the fans are happy,” Ranieri told TRT World, the video’s creators, after watching the tributes. “That’s all my sacrifice, is this, and I love this.”

Ranieri, although initially reluctant to watch the compilation, eventually asked for a copy to take home.

Leicester will become Premier League champions on Sunday if they beat Manchester United at Old Trafford.