Sir Alex Ferguson believes Leicester will win the league because they share qualities with his Manchester United

The Foxes have made a habit of grinding out narrow wins, like the Scotsman's teams of old

Former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson (Getty)

Sir Alex Ferguson expects Leicester City to become Premier League champions, partly because they share similar qualities with his most successful Manchester United teams.

The Foxes currently sit at the top of the table, five points clear of second-placed Tottenham Hotspur with seven fixtures remaining, and are on the cusp of the most unlikely title win since Nottingham Forest’s triumph in 1977/78.

Although he believes that Claudio Ranieri’s side will be tested in the coming weeks, Ferguson, who won 13 Premier League crowns during his 27-year spell at Old Trafford, expects Leicester’s unity will ultimately see them over the line.

“It'll be testing times for them,” he told Sky Sports, in an exclusive interview. “They have to get it in their mind that they'll drop a point or two, they may drop three points, they may lose a game.

“But others will drop points, that's the name of the game in the Premier League. It's a tough league. I can only see Tottenham as being the danger to be honest with you,” he added.

“At the moment they're playing some of the best football I've seen from any Tottenham team in many years. But Leicester I think have got the edge. I think they've got that togetherness.”

Leicester have a challenging run-in, with Manchester United, Southampton and Chelsea all to play, but their closest challengers Tottenham also face the same three sides as well as a testing trip to Liverpool this weekend.

The Foxes have recently made a habit of grinding out narrow victories, winning by a 1-0 scorelines against Watford, Newcastle United and Crystal Palace, and Ferguson believes their ability to edge out tight games - one typical of his title-winning United teams - will prove important

“I think it was 1996-97 we won eight games 1-0 and won the league,” he told Sky Sports. “These are championship-winning games without question. The consistency has been there all season. If they retain that consistency I can't see anything going wrong for them.”

“They've got the experience of [Robert] Huth and [Wes] Morgan at the back,” he added, praising the defensive solidity that Ranieri's men have shown this term. “They know how to head the ball clear, they know how to tackle, they know how to defend.

“Leicester have got the bit between their teeth and I think they've been the best team without question throughout the season and they deserve to win it.”