Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri has described star striker Jamie Vardy as "a fantastic horse" as the Premier League title race enters its final stages.

The 29-year-old has been instrumental in the Foxes' unlikely title challenge this season, with his contribution of 19 league goals helping his side to sit top of the pile with a seven-point cushion.

"Jamie Vardy is not a footballer. This is a fantastic horse," Ranieri told The Players' Tribune. "He has a need to be free out there on the pitch.

"I say to him, 'You are free to move however you want but you must help us when we lose the ball. That's all I ask of you. If you start to press the opposition, all of your teammates will follow you.'"

Leicester can go to within three wins of securing the title this weekend if they claim victory at relegation-threatened Sunderland.