Kasper Schmeichel pays tribute to Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha in Leicester programme

Leicester goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel has written a heartfelt tribute to Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha in a special match programme for Saturday's game against Burnley.

Srivaddhanaprabha and four others were killed after his helicopter crashed outside the King Power Stadium following the Premier League match against West Ham on October 27.

Schmeichel witnessed the crash and the Leicester goalkeeper was among those to pay tribute to Srivaddhanaprabha ahead of Saturday's match - Leicester's first at home since the tragedy.

"I was on the side of the pitch standing, chatting with some of those closest to him that night and waved him off as he took off, like I nearly always used to do after home games," wrote Schmeichel.

"What happened next will stay with me forever. It has replayed through my head every minute since, wishing there was something more I could have done.

"I stood for a long time at the police cordon at the back of the car park on the night of the 27th and again the next morning. Tears streaming down my face.

"He made me feel 10 feet tall when I was in his company. He gave me a feeling of safety and no matter what was going on, everything was going to be okay.

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"I really didn't want to leave, I couldn't! I wanted to be near him. It seems so wrong that this was how such a great life was ended."

Leicester fans paid tribute to Srivaddhanaprabha before the game by staging a memorial march from the city centre to the King Power Stadium in honour of the club owner.

More than 10,000 fans are estimated to have taken part in the '5000-1 walk', which included first-team players Harry Maguire, James Maddison, Andy King and Hamza Choudhury.

A special "Tribute to Khun Vichai" video was shown at the stadium ahead of kick-off and Srivaddhanaprabha's son, Aiyawatt, laid a wreath ahead of a two-minute silence for Remembrance Sunday and the helicopter crash victims.

Claude Puel, Jamie Vardy, Wes Morgan and King also wrote tributes to the Thai businessman in the special match programme, while former manager Claudio Ranieri called Srivaddhanaprabha "generous", writing: "I think Khun Vichai will be remembered forever.

"I will remember him laughing. He was always smiling and thinking about the positives. He was an amazing man, he had electricity."

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