Anatomy of an underdog: How Leicester's squad was built

A team full of misfits and has-beens, Leicester City is nearing the title when many tipped them for relegation. Here's how the players of this unforeseen rise found themselves at the King Power Stadium.

Kasper Schmeichel

Signed from: Leeds United (July 2011)
Transfer fee: £1.25 million

Kasper Schmeichel moved to the East Midlands to reunite with Sven-Goran Eriksson for the third time. He had previously worked with the Swede at Manchester City and during an ambitious yet ultimately failed project at Notts County.

Danny Simpson

Signed from: Queens Park Rangers (August 2014)
Transfer fee: £2 million

Signed three days after Esteban Cambiasso in a late flurry of transfer activity following playoff promotion, Danny Simpson, a Manchester United academy graduate, boasted much of his underwhelming top-flight experience from a spell with Newcastle United.

Wes Morgan

Signed from: Nottingham Forest (January 2012)
Transfer fee: £1 million

From a "well overweight" Notts County reject, Wes Morgan eventually earned the captaincy at neighbour Nottingham Forest before Nigel Pearson sought out a physical presence for his defence.

Robert Huth

Signed from: Stoke City (July 2015)
Transfer fee: £3 million

Brought in on loan by Pearson for the second half of last season, Robert Huth was pivotal in Leicester's incredible relegation escape. His transfer was made permanent before Claudio Ranieri's summer appointment.

Christian Fuchs

Signed from: FC Schalke 04 (July 2015)
Transfer fee: Free

A masterstroke by Ranieri. Christian Fuchs was nicked for nothing after the Austrian left FC Schalke 04 upon the conclusion of his contract.

Riyad Mahrez

Signed from: Le Havre (January 2014)
Transfer fee: £400,000

Riyad Mahrez struggled to have an impact at Le Havre after moving from non-league Quimper, but Leicester assistant Steve Walsh spotted the Algerian when scouting somebody else and decided to take a risk. He became the first African to collect the PFA Player of the Year award in mid-April.

N'Golo Kante

Signed from: Stade Malherbe Caen (August 2015)
Transfer fee: £5.6 million

Another player from the depths of French football, N'Golo Kante learned his trade at US Boulogne in the second and third tiers before impressing at Stade Malherbe Caen. He has emerged as arguably the most tireless and fearsome competitor in the Premier League.

Danny Drinkwater

Signed from: Manchester United (January 2012)
Transfer fee: £700,000

Drinkwater Made in excess of 70 league appearances for a host of clubs on loan in the Football League, but never one for his parent club and hometown team Manchester United. He's shown an exceptional range of passing over the season, earning international recognition in his England debut in March.

Marc Albrighton

Signed from: Aston Villa (July 2014)
Transfer fee: Free

Progressed through the Aston Villa ranks and made his professional debut under Martin O'Neill in 2009. Was harshly phased out of the team under Paul Lambert and dumped at the end of his contract in 2014.

Shinji Okazaki

Signed from: FSV Mainz 05 (July 2015)
Transfer fee: £7 million

The third signing of last summer after Huth and Fuchs, Japanese international Shinji Okazaki moved to Europe with VfB Stuttgart before impressing at FSV Mainz 05. Not free-scoring with the Foxes, but his work rate has been vital to the title surge.

Jamie Vardy

Signed from: Fleetwood Town (July 2012)
Transfer fee: £1 million

After being dumped by his beloved Sheffield Wednesday as a youngster, troubled teenager Jamie Vardy first carved a career out at eighth-tier Stocksbridge Park Steels while working at a factory. He climbed up the Football League ladder with FC Halifax Town and Fleetwood Town, and then eventually became one of the most menacing strikers in the English game at Leicester.

Starting XI total cost: £21.95 million

Or, the amount Tottenham Hotspur splurged on bit-part player Heung-Min Son.

Other notable squad members

Leonardo Ulloa: £8 million (Brighton & Hove Albion)
Andy King: Free (academy graduate)
Jeffrey Schlupp: Free (academy graduate)
Nathan Dyer: Loan (Swansea City)

The manager

Signed: July 2014
Contract: Three years

Claudio Ranieri continued to build on the team spirit instilled from Leicester's successful bid for survival under Pearson last season, and has overseen something no one could've predicted. It's a monumental achievement for the affable Italian, nearing his first title as a 64-year-old after three second-placed finishes in three different leagues. Ranieri is the Cinderella of this fairy tale.