Mandaric thanks Foxes supporters

The whole season we were the best team in this league Milan Mandaric

Leicester City chairman Milan Mandaric said the club's "superb" supporters played a massive part in their title-winning League One season.

The Foxes clinched an immediate return to the Championship with victory over Southend at the weekend.

Mandaric told BBC Radio Leicester it was a team effort on and off the pitch.

"The fans have been superb. They played a major role. I asked them to do that at the beginning of the season and they came through for us," he said.

"I'm so delighted we finally made it and we made it convincingly.

"It's not by accident - we didn't sneak through. The whole season long we were the best team in this league and I'm very excited.

"It's a great dream. We picked up the winning mentality and attitude."

Striker Matt Fryatt - who has scored 31 goals this season with two games still to play - agreed with his chairman.

"We deserve to go up as champions," he said.

"We have had some great performances throughout the season so we will enjoy it. For the team to bounce back at the first opportunity is incredible."

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And Fryatt feels the Foxes have revealed their true spirit during a late-season wobble which saw them win just three games out of 12 following the 4-1 success against Walsall in early February.

Nigel Pearson's side have since won their last three games.

Fryatt added: "It was getting really tight and we weren't playing that well but we responded over the Easter weekend.

"We could have crumbled but it shows the skills of the management team and the players that we have been able to respond. It's been a great season."