Leicester City is CHAMPION! The Foxes secure the Championship title after beating Preston 3-0 at Deepdale as Jamie Vardy’s brace and Kasey McAteer’s goal secure top spot with a game to spare

Leicester are champions and how appropriate it was Jamie Vardy who started the party.

The 37-year-old declared “my legs are fine” before the match as Leicester weighed up whether to offer him a new contract and another chance in the Premier League.

“10 is years” and “sign it up” chanted 5,700 ecstatic Leicester fans at Deepdale and perhaps Vardy could still do some damage at the highest level.

It was certainly strange to think that these could be his last goals for the Foxes after 12 extraordinary years.

Leicester could still face penalties and point deductions for their financial losses next season, but that can all wait – this was a night purely of celebration.

Beat Blackburn on Saturday and Enzo Maresca’s side will also rack up a century of points and that milestone seems fitting by their high standards this season, even if a few wobbles threatened to derail things.

Having led the promotion race for most of the season, Leicester’s celebrations officially began on Friday night after Leeds were thrashed by Queens Park Rangers.

Maresca was celebrating with his coaching staff when he found his house invaded by several players, but for Vardy, synonymous with partying at Leicester in recent years, this time it was early in the evening.

The Leicester fans who packed one end of Deepdale were more than happy to continue the festivities for another night.

There was even a stop in the opening minutes to pop all the blue and white balloons they released and referee Sam Allison handed a deflated beach ball to the fourth official.

For the Leicester players, dead rubber was the last thing on their minds as they slowly gained pace, helped by a distant Preston, who really had nothing to play for.

Vardy darted behind his rearguard with a curved run to meet a Yunus Akgun pass, but Freddie Woodman was equal to his shot.

Kasey McAteer dribbled along the edge of the Preston area before seeing a tame shot saved but should have broken the deadlock on the half-hour mark.

Abdul Fatawu crossed for the first time from the right and the goal opened for McAteer, but he somehow sent his header wide of the back post.

However, Vardy is unfailingly reliable and raised the mood in the visitors’ camp even further with his goal in the 37th minute.

It was far from the veteran’s cleanest connection (more of a wear and tear than anything else), but it served to beat Woodman after Akgun cut the ball.

Vardy did his usual trick of celebrating directly in front of the opposition’s fans and why would you cancel the game if you’re still so excited?

Things got even better for him seven minutes after the restart, with potentially the easiest goal he has ever scored.

Wout Faes did it, storming into the Preston box, skipping three tackles before firing against the base of the post.

The ball bounced behind Woodman and Vardy was all alone to crash into an empty net at close range for his 18th goal of the Championship season.

This time, he was happy to fill his nostrils with the cordite of the blue smoke flares that were lit behind the goal. ‘Write it down,’ they chanted.

Vardy could have completed his hat-trick when he played clear, but Woodman denied him one-on-one.

But the third goal came thanks to a free header from McAteer after a Fatawu cross from the right side.

Vardy was substituted with 15 minutes remaining, shortly after Fatawu hit a post, earning another cheer and a round of singing.

From there, it was simply a matter of how many more Leicester could score. Harry Winks tried to pick the bottom corner but was saved by Woodman.

Uncork the champagne…