Leicester’s 5,000-1 Premier League miracle still feels impossible, 10 years on

Leicester City’s astonishing Premier League title triumph remains as surreal a decade later as it was when the final whistle blew. The club were preparing to defend their crown and enter the Champions League 10 years ago; now, after back-to-back relegations, they are preparing for life in League One under new manager Russell Martin.

The night Leicester became champions

Leicester secured the title without kicking a ball on 2 May 2016, when nearest challengers Tottenham Hotspur surrendered a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 at Chelsea. Jamie Vardy had invited teammates to his home to watch the decisive match, although some players had to wait at a police station before they could reach the party because of the crowds outside.

Nathan Dyer experienced the defining moment differently. He was in hospital with his wife Laura after the birth of their second child, Shea, watching the match on a laptop while his teammates celebrated. “It was a strange feeling. It was surreal, like it wasn’t real at the time but it was,” Dyer recalled.

Leicester eventually lifted the trophy after beating Everton 3-1 at the King Power Stadium. They finished 10 points clear of Arsenal, having lost only once in their final 16 matches.

A secret audience with Claudio Ranieri

The morning after the title was confirmed, journalists struggled to locate the players and staff. Crowds gathered outside Leicester’s former training ground at Belvoir Drive, while traffic made the short journey to the King Power Stadium take around half an hour.

Inside the stadium, only eight reporters received a secret invitation to return to Belvoir Drive. They were taken into the family room, where manager Claudio Ranieri received an impromptu standing ovation before speaking to the handpicked group for 45 minutes.

Ranieri had been a left-field appointment at the start of the season, having not managed in England since leaving Chelsea in 2004. His approach extended beyond tactics. After the team’s first clean sheet, against Crystal Palace in October 2015, the squad went out to make pizza together.

Former centre-back Robert Huth said the informal setting helped players communicate in ways they might not have done in a meeting room. “You talk and go through the game where maybe you wouldn’t mention things,” Huth explained, arguing that teammates could exchange small but important pieces of criticism more naturally in a social environment.

The people and moments behind the fairytale

The relaxed team culture helped Riyad Mahrez flourish, while Jamie Vardy scored 24 league goals. Ranieri compared Leicester’s counter-attacking forwards to the RAF as the club transformed from outsiders into title favourites.

Dyer’s arrival had been almost as dramatic as the season itself. He joined on loan from Swansea on transfer deadline day and was flown to Leicester in the late owner Khun Vichai’s helicopter to complete the move. “It was a proud moment for me,” he said of an experience that felt like breaking-news television.

The title race also produced unlikely local celebrities. Postman Lee Chapman became known as Vardy’s lookalike, while a Leicester butcher created a sausage named after Ranieri, made with pork, fennel, garlic and chilli. At its peak, the shop sold 12 kilograms of the sausage a day, and Ranieri embraced the nickname “the sausageman”.

“It had a massive effect on the city,” said butcher Sean Jeynes. “Everyone was much happier.” The sausage still occasionally returns to the counter as a lasting reminder of the club’s extraordinary season.

A life-changing £2 bet

For Foxes Trust co-chair Lynn Wyeth, the miracle also brought a life-changing financial reward. She had backed Leicester at odds of 5,000-1 with a £2 bet, eventually winning £10,000.

“It was actually really stressful,” Wyeth said, explaining that the bookmaker temporarily closed her account and required her to prove the winnings were genuine. The money allowed her to retire at 55 rather than 67.

Leicester’s present predicament makes the memories feel even more distant, but the stories of the title-winning squad and the city that celebrated with them remain undiminished. As Wyeth put it: “Thank you, Leicester.”