Leicester City: Former boss Sven-Goran Eriksson 'really hopes' Foxes win title

The 68-year-old was sacked in the East Midlands in 2011 and is now in charge at Shanghai in the Chinese Super League

Sven-Göran Eriksson watches on while in charge of Leicester City (Getty)

Former Leicester City and England manager Sven-Göran Eriksson has backed the Premier League leaders to continue their extraordinary title charge.

The 68-year-old was sacked in the East Midlands in 2011 after failing to fill the Thai hierarchy with enough confidence that he was capable of leading them to promotion from the Championship.

Under the management of Claudio Ranieri this term, whose appointment was widely ridiculed in the summer, Leicester have stunned the football community and hold a two-point cushion atop of the table with 12 matches remaining.

Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, the Foxes chairman, has aspired to establish Leicester among the elite of the English game since Eriksson’s time at the club and the Swede says he is happy for the man who dismissed him five years ago.

“The owner has been very important for Leicester,” Eriksson told Outside90 ahead of the Asian Champions League clash between Shanghai and Melbourne Victory. “When he bought the club, people were wondering why he was interested and why did he buy that club.

“He is genuinely interested in football and he wanted to make Leicester a big club and there they are, they can win it. I really hope they will win it that would be really sensational, it would be great for the Premier League.”

Sven Goran-Eriksson, manager of Shanghai (Getty)

Eriksson also praised the goal-scoring exploits of Jamie Vardy, signed from Fleetwood Town by Nigel Pearson and the acclaimed Leicester scouting network in 2012, with the England striker leading the Premier League charts with 19 goals to his name.

He added: “I think they have a good chance, they deserve to be where they are. They’re playing very good football, they’re very aggressive and working very hard. They have a striker [Vardy] who scores goals for fun so I really hope they win it.

“Congratulations to the whole club, I phone them some times to tell them that.”