Tuesday 3 May 2016 15:48, UK
Lifelong Leicester City fan Rendall Munroe is already expecting the Premier League winners to surprise the best sides in Europe next season.
The man known as 'The Boxing Binman' was European super-bantamweight champion between 2008-09 but fell short of winning a world title six years ago.
Munroe, who was paraded around the King Power Stadium pitch and even trained with the Foxes when he was winning boxing titles, was delighted to see Leicester crowned champions following Tottenham's 2-2 draw at Chelsea on Monday Night Football.
The former fighter was not as surprised as some, and is already expecting Claudio Ranieri's side to enjoy the underdog tag when they take on the best next season.
"Right from the early days, I used to go and watch them, even before I started boxing. When the boxing took off, I used to get the personal invites down onto the pitch, mixing with all the fans and the players and even going down to the training ground to train with them," Munroe told Sky Sports.
"Now to see this happen, it's brilliant.
It is brilliant. Who'd ever have dreamed of this? There's 125 years of Leicester City and now they have won the Premier League. Amazing!
"For me, I'd have swapped the world title for them winning this but as a Leicester lad, if I could've won a world title, how good would it have been? Leicester would have had a boxing world champion and Premier League champions!
"Leicester are going on to bigger and better things. Who knows with the Champions League now? Where and how far can they go? Who knows?
"They have already proved the point, so don't write them off. Last year we were scrapping to stay up, this year we are the Premier League champions, so don't write us off... you never know."
Munroe has fought big-name British stars like Scott Quigg, Lee Selby and Josh Warrington, after losing his WBC super-bantamweight challenge against Toshiaki Nishioka out in Tokyo in October 2010.
Now 35, he feels that Leicester's success was down to the players' approach and Ranieri's calmness, not huge wages and the pressure they can bring.
"It has just proved a point to everyone that you don't need to be this huge multi-million pound club to do it," said Munroe.
"Obviously it all comes down to the players' commitment and wanting to play as a team and as a Leicester boy born and bred, it is quality. Top-notch.
"I started to think they could do it about halfway through the season. When you watch them play and how they play together, that was one of the biggest things for me - they were playing as a team and that's what makes the difference.
"Some of the teams have got all these big-name players but they're not passionate about their team or the club; they are just passionate about the money. Whereas look at Leicester... they were passionate to win for Leicester and to wear the shirt with pride.
"It's never 'we'll get this amount of money' or 'what am I getting paid?' That's what made the difference."
Munroe refused to pick out a stand-out favourite but suggested Danny Drinkwater's hard work helped drive them on the pitch, while he believes the local community also played a huge role in Leicester's success.
The former fighter is now part of the Triple Skillz Sport initiative that gives local excluded children education and sports, such as both boxing and football, on a day-to-day basis, and he also runs his own boxing gym in Leicester. He was unable to join Monday night's city centre celebrations, but cannot wait for the official parade.
"The backing within the Leicester community itself is amazing and last night they proved it," he said.
"All the streets were full, so things were going up on travel websites and on Twitter telling people not to drive into the town centre or near the ground because they just weren't moving.
"I am Rendall Munroe so if I am invited, I will go. But if not, I will go along with my two boys and my little girl, jumping around like everyone else.
"It is brilliant. Who'd ever have dreamed of this? There's 125 years of Leicester City and now they have won the Premier League. Amazing."
