Preston 0-3 Leicester City: Jamie Vardy scores twice as Foxes clinch Championship title in style

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

The 37-year-old declared ‘my legs are fine’ ahead of the match as Leicester weigh up whether to offer him a new contract and another shot at the Premier League.

’10 are years’ and ‘sign Him up’ sang 5,700 jubilant Leicester fans at Deepdale and perhaps Vardy could still do some damage at the highest level.

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

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

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

Vardy broke the deadlock with a calm finish in the closing stages of the first half

The striker was in the right place at the right time to double the lead shortly after half-time

The Foxes made no bones of Preston to seal the title in style at Deepdale on Monday

After leading the promotion race for most of the season, Leicester’s celebrations officially started on Friday evening after Leeds were defeated at Queens Park Rangers.

Maresca was celebrating with his coaching staff when he found his home being 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 for the celebrations to continue another evening.

There was even a stoppage 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 got going, aided by a distant Preston, who really had nothing to play for.

Kasey McAteer had every hope of making a comeback in bed as he headed home from close range

McAteer drives away in celebration after scoring his team’s third goal of the match

Vardy cut in behind their backline with an arcing run to reach a pass from Yunus Akgun, but Freddie Woodman was equal to his shot.

Kasey McAteer dribbled around the edge of the Preston box before seeing a tame shot saved, but he should have broken the deadlock on the half hour.

Abdul Fatawu passed first time from the right and the goal gaped in front of McAteer, but he somehow headed wide at his back post.

However, Vardy is unfailingly reliable and he lifted the atmosphere in the away game even further with his goal in the 37th minute.

It was far from the veteran’s cleanest connection – more of a scrape than anything – but it was enough to beat Woodman after Akgun cut the ball back.

Vardy did his usual trick of celebrating directly in front of the opposition fans and why spend time playing when you still get such a thrill out of it?

The Leicester supporters were in good spirits throughout as they celebrated their success

Things got even better for him seven minutes after the restart with possibly the easiest goal he will ever score.

Wout Faes made it, charging forward into the Preston penalty area and skipping three tackles before firing into the base of the post.

The ball rebounded behind Woodman and Vardy was all alone, hitting from point-blank range into an empty net for his 18th goal of the Championship season.

This time he happily filled his nostrils with the cordite from the blue smoke flares rising behind the goal. “Register him,” they chanted.

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

But the third goal came thanks to McAteer’s free header from Fatawu’s cross from the right.

Vardy was taken off the pitch with 15 minutes to go, not long after Fatawu rattled a post, earning another standing ovation and a round of song.

From that moment on it was simply a question of how many more Leicester could score. Harry Winks tried to find the bottom corner, but Woodman was able to make the save.

Uncork the champagne…