Claudio Ranieri admits when he joined Leicester he'd be fighting a relegation battle
The Italian says he was lured to the club by their Thai owners' long-term ambition to reach the Premier League's top four. But he admitted the Foxes could not have dreamed of leading the way after 16 games, and were even preparing contingency plans for relegation.
"I didn't believe when I signed my contract that in December we would be top of the league," said Ranieri. "But two things were very, very fantastic for me.
"One was to hear from my owner that he wanted in the next two years to maintain Leicester in the Premier League, then grow up and try to achieve the top places.
"The other was when his son asked me, 'If everything goes wrong, will you stay with us in the Championship?' I said, 'Yes, I will stay here'.
Martinez hails the impact of 'inspirational' Leicester
"This was amazing for me because there was a balance - there was a big project but also they wanted me to stay even if everything went wrong."
Leicester have taken the Premier League by storm with Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez scoring a total of 26 goals, and head for Everton this afternoon with just one defeat so far.
Toffees boss Roberto Martinez reckons for his side to show similar standing they must become more streetwise ahead of the two-month spell he believes will shape their season.
Everton have garnered plaudits this term for their attacking thrust, marshalled by the likes of Romelu Lukaku, Ross Barkley and Gerard Deulofeu, but have won just two of their last nine league games to stymie progress.
In recent weeks, Everton have thrown away winning positions against Bournemouth and Norwich, while failing to convert their superiority against Crystal Palace, and Martinez said:
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