Scottish Daily Mail

Claudio: Our title win can be an inspiratio­n to every team

Foxes’ title win can spur Scots on, says Ranieri

- By JOHN McGARRY

Graham Rix, who was sacked after just four months in charge. ‘I have to speak very well about Scottish football because maybe I have a future here in future years — I don’t know,’ he smiled. ‘It was a realistic chance. It’s an old story, I was so young. I met the owner for one hour but our ways were one on the left and one on the right.’ Ranieri, who will be without Jamie Vardy and Andy King this afternoon due to their extended post-Euro 2016 rest, believes Joe Dodoo has the wherewitha­l to be a smash hit at Rangers this season. Dodoo signed for Mark Warburton’s side under freedom of contract after failing to nail down a first-team place. But Ranieri is convinced the move to Glasgow can be the making of the 22-year-old striker. ‘He’s a player with a lot of ability — a big strong boy — and he can cause teams problems,’ he said. ‘I’ll be watching with interest to see how he does. ‘He looks at the goal very well and I wish him all the best. With us, he was a very good player — a very good boy.’

CLAUDIO RANIERI last night implored Scottish football to take inspiratio­n from Leicester City’s historic title win last season.

The Italian arrived in Glasgow last night ahead of today’s Internatio­nal Champions Cup clash with Celtic on the back of our club sides sustaining disappoint­ing defeats to teams from Luxembourg, Gibraltar and Malta over the past fortnight.

But the man who famously overcame odds of 5000-1 to land the most unlikely title in the history of the game hopes the Foxes’ fairytale can act as a beacon of light in the gloom.

‘I hope so,’ said the 64-year-old. ‘I hope Leicester can be a good example to a lot of people not only in sport but in their lives, because the dream can come true.

‘It’s important to work hard. In my life always at first there is the idea, the dream, but after that you work hard to achieve.’

Ranieri was close to managing in Scotland 11 years ago when Hearts approached him as a possible successor to George Burley.

The Italian met then owner Vladimir Romanov but was unable to reach an agreement — a situation that led to the table-topping Tynecastle club appointing

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