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Leicester report card: 2015-16 grades for each player

Reuters

Leicester City's 2015-16 Premier League victory will forever live in the memory as one of the greatest underdog stories in the history of football, and the players who made that dream a reality will go down as legends of the sport in their own right.

Here's how we rate the Foxes' cast of characters:

The Starting XI

Kasper Schmeichel: B+

Schmeichel enjoyed an entirely non-controversial season. He did not commit a single foul, conceded no penalties himself, and picked up just two yellow cards all year. He leads the league in clean sheets with 15, and only allowed 34 goals against to compliment his 94 saves.

Danny Simpson: C

While defensively solid, Simpson's tackling left him suspect in a 2-1 loss to Arsenal when he picked up a red card before the hour mark. He was one of the weaker points in Leicester's lineup, but still enjoyed a decent - if somewhat hollow - campaign.

Wes Morgan: A-

The Foxes' captain scored a thumping header in Leicester's 1-0 win over Southampton and the equalizer against Manchester United en route to winning the title. He carried the brunt of the defensive responsibilities on his shoulders. Clean in his challenges, the Jamaican deserves praise for helping guide his team through uncharted waters.

Robert Huth: B+

Just as defensively solid as Morgan, Huth was consistent and reliable all season long. Standing 6-foot-3, Huth was a wall in the back four. He accounted for 38 blocks, 39 interceptions, and 116 tackles this season going into the Manchester United clash.

Christian Fuchs: B+

Fuchs was a spark plug on Leicester's left side, earning four assists on the overlap. He lead the entire league in blocks and was ever-present in the Foxes' attack, sitting third-highest in the team in passes completed. It all makes him an integral piece to Leicester's movement and shape.

Riyad Mahrez: A+ (and a gold star)

Mahrez wasn't just Leicester's best player; he was the best player in the entire league. The Algerian recorded 17 goals and 11 assists in 34 games, smacking home free kicks with ruthless venom, and finding Jamie Vardy time and time again with his deft passing - it all made for an A+ season.

As for the gold star? He was also bestowed the PFA Player of the Year award.

Daniel Drinkwater: A

Drinkwater was instrumental in making Leicester tick in the middle of the park. He led the team in total touches and passes completed, recorded six assists from midfield, scored the first goal in a 3-0 win over Stoke City, and intercepted the ball 76 times through 33 games.

N'Golo Kante: A+

N'Golo Kante is a livewire, plain and simple. He is the engine that kept Leicester's title hopes alive as he led the league in successful tackles. Kante bossed the middle of the park with his incredible energy stores and drive, so much so that his manager even asked him to tone it down a bit.

Marc Albrighton: B-

Albrighton is one of those strange players that does well on the stat sheets but not on the eye test. His league-leading 215 crosses made him an endless supply route from out wide, but he only recorded six assists and two goals. He played poorly at times, making him another weak spot in Leicester's lineup.

Shinji Okazaki: B+

It's hard to fault Okazaki for his contributions this year. He can count a game-winning strike against Everton and the solitary effort in a 1-1 draw with Aston Villa among his five goals for the season. His best qualities were in the build-up, though, as he forced a number of defensive mistakes from the opposition.

Still, his teammate Leonardo Ulloa scored six times in about 1,000 fewer minutes, and goals count just a bit more for strikers.

Jamie Vardy: A+

Jamie Vardy had himself quite a party this season for the Foxes. The non-league-footballer-turned-England-international has been the backbone of Leicester's underdog legend, as he himself rose from obscurity with his own fairy-tale story. He has 22 goals this season, good for third in the league.

His desire, energy, and drive grouped with his finishing skill makes Vardy the protagonist of Leicester's story, and his countless heroics prove that point.

The Gaffer

Claudio Ranieri: A+

Dilly ding, dilly dong, what a season it has been for Claudio Ranieri. Using tried-and-true management methods like utilizing a 4-4-2, building a system around his players' strengths, and bribing players with pizza, "The Tinkerman's" charm, quick wit, and humility makes him a lovable and worthy champion.

Related - Tinkerman no more: Ranieri on the verge of career-defining achievement

On the Bench

Jeffrey Schlupp: C

The versatile 23-year-old Ghanaian winger scored the game-winning goal away against Norwich City, and was one of Ranieri's preferred options coming off the bench or to replace Albrighton down the final stretch of the season.

Leonardo Ulloa: B

Ulloa saved the day with his game-winning goal against Norwich at home, saved the day with a penalty against West Ham in controversial fashion, and saved the day against Swansea City when Vardy was suspended. Not bad for a bench option.

Gokhan Inler: D-

A complete non-factor this season, the Swiss midfielder featured in only five matches this season - a stark change for the man who spent four seasons entrenched in Napoli's midfield. Leicester just ... didn't need him.

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