Claudio Ranieri tells Leicester no-one remembers runner-up

Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri has warned his leaders they must win the league because no-one remembers the runner-up.

The Foxes are seven points clear in the Premier League and need just three wins from their last five games to claim the title.

They host West Ham tomorrow, 24 hours before nearest rivals Tottenham go to Stoke, before playing Swansea, Manchester United, Everton, and Chelsea.

Previous shock footballing winners have included Denmark and Greece clinching the European Championship in 1992 and 2004 respectively while newly-promoted Nottingham Forest won the top flight in 1978.

And Ranieri insisted Leicester must win the title if they want to write their own names in history and be compared to previous victors.

He said: “We’ve made a good story, but to make something you will remember in 30 or 40 years we have to win.

“We don’t achieve anything yet. We have to fight to achieve the Champions League.

“Football is very strange. If you weren’t here in Leicester but somewhere else, maybe City or United, with seven points more, you would say ‘it is finished’.

“At this moment you don’t think this. Why? Because we are Leicester. We have to fight and we have to be focused and strong.”

Riyad Mahrez, Jamie Vardy and N’Golo Kante have also all been nominated for the PFA Player of the Year and Ranieri hopes at least one can win.

He said: “I am very proud because they deserve it. They are doing a fantastic performance in every match and I hope one of them can win.

“They are three sons for me. If one son wins I am very happy.”

Ranieri has no fresh injury worries against the Hammers but does not expect Matty James to play this season with the midfielder having been out for almost a year with a knee injury.

West Ham’s Slaven Bilic admits Leicester’s “fairytale” season has put West Ham’s fine season in the shade.

“People recognise we are having a good season, we are playing good football, and they are praising us,” said Hammers boss Bilic.

“But what Leicester have done puts our successful season a little bit in the shadows.

“That’s normal. It’s like a fairytale and they deserve all the credit they are getting. It is unbelievable.”