Leicester City: Matt Piper on ‘wonderful’ season.

Former Leicester player Matt Piper says the Foxes’ final day defeat to Blackburn took “a bit of the shine” off the day they lifted the Championship trophy, but it takes nothing away from a “wonderful” season.

Leicester lost 2-0 at home in a game that saw Rovers secure survival on the final day.

“They lacked quality today against Blackburn, but it’s been a long, hard season,” Piper told the When You’re Smiling podcast.

“Enzo Maresca went with the XI, the only thing missing was Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and the performance looked tired, the quality is lacking.

“But, never mind, the job was already done before the start. Blackburn came in, had a really good game plan, sat deep and then had a really outstanding counter-attacking player in Sammie Szmodics.

“It took a bit of the shine off the day, but I’m sure it will all be forgotten when the trophy comes out.

“We’re champions, we finish with 97 points and it’s been a wonderful, wonderful season.”

Blackburn needed points to ensure survival and Piper believes facing a team with so much to play for on the final day made securing the title against Preston all the more important.

“That was the game, wasn’t it?” he added. “This was the game to win and stamp your authority on the league and make sure you are Championship champions and we did that. It would have been nice in front of today’s audience to go out in style. .

“It wasn’t meant to be, but once the trophy comes out, it doesn’t matter that we lost this last game. We still have the most points in the league and we go back to the Premier League as champions.”