Catalans Dragons players scurried for cover after a bull broke loose during a pre-match parade ahead of their Betfred Super League clash with St Helens.

The parade was contrived by Catalans owner Bernard Guasch, head of a local meat processing company, to celebrate the quality of beef in the region.

However, one of the bulls broke free, dragging its handler across the turf before shaking free and gallivanting towards the posts, sending players, who were warming up at the time, scattering into the stands.

The bull, one of three in the parade, was swiftly recovered with no damage done, and the match started as scheduled at the Stade Gilbert Brutus in Perpignan.

In a statement prior to the incident, the Dragons said that “three prize-winning bulls, as well as two cows from the same Gascon breed, will perform a lap of honour during the warm-up”.

George Russell saw off Lewis Hamilton as Mercedes completed a surprise one-two finish in opening practice for the Miami Grand Prix.

In the closing moments of the one-hour running in the Sunshine State, Russell and Hamilton moved from the back of the pack to the front.

Hamilton held top spot for a handful of seconds before he was usurped by team-mate Russell. Charles Leclerc finished third for Ferrari, one spot ahead of championship leader Max Verstappen.

Formula One is back in Miami for a second time at a 3.36-mile circuit constructed around the Hard Rock Stadium – home of NFL side the Miami Dolphins – 15 miles north of the city.

The race marks the first of three rounds to be staged in the United States this year as F1’s American owners Liberty Media continue to build on the rise of the sport across the Atlantic.

A debut event on the Las Vegas strip will take place in November, while Austin’s grand prix at the Circuit of the Americas – a permanent fixture on the F1 schedule since 2012 – also features.

Despite the boom of the sport, the actual competition is facing accusations of being “predictable” and “boring” with Red Bull winning 14 of the last 15 races.

Verstappen leads Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez in the standings by six points after the opening four rounds.

But Mercedes’ encouraging start here will provide hope that Red Bull might not have it all their own way in Florida.

Russell edged out Hamilton by 0.212 sec with Leclerc three tenths back. Verstappen ended the first running four tenths behind Russell, while his Red Bull team-mate Perez, who comfortably won the Azerbaijan Grand Prix last weekend, was only 11th.

The session was earlier suspended for nine minutes when Nico Hulkenberg crashed into the wall after he lost control of his Haas coming through the third corner.

With Hulkenberg’s broken machine in a precarious position, the red flags were deployed.

Behind the top four, Carlos Sainz took fifth for Ferrari, with Alpine’s Pierre Gasly sixth and the Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso seventh.

Lando Norris finished 16th for McLaren, 1.8 sec back while home favourite and sole American in the field Logan Sargeant, who was raised in nearby Fort Lauderdale, finished 19th of the 20 runners.

The concluding action of the day gets under way at 17:30 local time (22:30 UK).

George Russell saw off Lewis Hamilton as Mercedes completed a surprise one-two finish in opening practice for the Miami Grand Prix.

In the closing moments of the one-hour running in the Sunshine State, Russell and Hamilton moved from the back of the pack to the front.

Hamilton held top spot for a handful of seconds before he was usurped by team-mate Russell. Charles Leclerc finished third for Ferrari, one spot ahead of championship leader Max Verstappen.

Formula One is back in Miami for a second time at a 3.36-mile circuit constructed around the Hard Rock Stadium – home of NFL side the Miami Dolphins – 15 miles north of the city.

The race marks the first of three rounds to be staged in the United States this year as F1’s American owners Liberty Media continue to build on the rise of the sport across the Atlantic.

A debut event on the Las Vegas strip will take place in November, while Austin’s grand prix at the Circuit of the Americas – a permanent fixture on the F1 schedule since 2012 – also features.

Despite the boom of the sport, the actual competition is facing accusations of being “predictable” and “boring” with Red Bull winning 14 of the last 15 races.

Verstappen leads Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez in the standings by six points after the opening four rounds.

But Mercedes’ encouraging start here will provide hope that Red Bull might not have it all their own way in Florida.

Russell edged out Hamilton by 0.212 sec with Leclerc three tenths back. Verstappen ended the first running four tenths behind Russell, while his Red Bull team-mate Perez, who comfortably won the Azerbaijan Grand Prix last weekend, was only 11th.

Steve Smith’s LV= Insurance County Championship debut innings was overshadowed by Sussex captain Cheteshwar Pujara’s classy century at Worcestershire.

Attention was fixed on former Australia captain Smith, whose union with Sussex for three Division Two matches ahead of this summer’s Ashes has raised eyebrows, after the visitors lost two quick wickets on the second morning.

But, just as he was finding some rhythm, Smith fell for 30 to a debatable lbw call before Pujara demonstrated why he is as highly regarded as the Australian with a fine 136 in Sussex’s 373 all out.

Worcestershire reached stumps on 34 for one – trailing by 75 heading into day three.

Australian fast bowler Michael Neser took the spotlight away from the returning Jonny Bairstow with a brilliant hat-trick as Glamorgan dominated against Yorkshire.

Bairstow made an unbeaten 20 in his first competitive innings after more than eight months out injured but he could only watch on from the non-striker’s end as Neser ripped through his colleagues at Headingley.

The 33-year-old, left out of this summer’s Ashes touring party, showed the Australia Test selectors what they could be missing as he claimed career-best figures of seven for 32 off 11 overs to help skittle Yorkshire for 106.

Boasting a first-innings lead of 139, Glamorgan reached 57 for two in their second innings before proceedings were brought to an early finish.

Nottinghamshire opener Haseeb Hameed fell three runs short of a first century of the season before Lancashire took the upper hand on a rain-affected second day at Trent Bridge.

England bowlers James Anderson and Stuart Broad both finished the day wicketless as Lancashire overturned a first-innings deficit of 35 to lead by 63 runs with nine second-innings wickets in hand.

Essex seamer Jamie Porter claimed four wickets to pose the first serious questions about Surrey’s credentials of retaining their title.

Porter took his season’s total to 18 in four Championship games to help dismiss Surrey for 240, with the lead extended to 89 by Nick Browne and Sir Alastair Cook in five overs before stumps.

Tom Kohler-Cadmore blasted a thrilling first half-century for Somerset to bat them into a promising position against Northamptonshire at Taunton.

The visitors began by extending their overnight first-innings score of 137 for four to 255 all out. In reply, Somerset slipped to 61 for three before Cameron Bancroft (39) helped Kohler-Cadmore on his way to an unbeaten 95 off just 71 balls, with his side 199 for four and trailing by 56.

Sam Hain passed 50 for the third time in five innings this season as Warwickshire continued to dominate Hampshire.

Hampshire had found hope with three wickets in a truncated morning session to fashion a collapse from 83 without loss to 95 for three but half-centuries for Alex Davies (51), Ed Barnard (91 not out) and Michael Burgess (60no) accompanied Hain’s 85 as Warwickshire ended day two on 364 for five – a lead of 135.

Leus du Plooy and Wayne Madsen batted Derbyshire into a dominant position against Leicestershire at Derby.

The pair shared a stand of 122 from 184 balls, with Du Plooy failing by six runs to become Derbyshire’s first century maker of the season. The hosts closed on 326 for seven, a lead of 204.

Olympic gold medallist Oliver Townend has made a strong start to his quest for a first Badminton Horse Trials title since 2009.

The Shropshire-based Yorkshireman leads after day one of dressage, guiding Swallow Springs to a score of 23.2 penalties from an early morning draw.

Townend, a member of Great Britain’s eventing team that won gold at the Tokyo Games, holds a narrow lead over Gemma Stevens and Jalapeno, with world number one – New Zealander Tim Price – lying third on Vitali.

Townend’s Tokyo ride Ballaghmor Class is among a raft of Badminton contenders in dressage action on Saturday, when his Olympic team-mates Tom McEwen, riding Toledo De Kerser, and Laura Collett with Dacapo will also enter the arena.

And there is also likely to be a strong challenge launched by 2018 world champion Ros Canter, who returns aboard last year’s Badminton runner-up Lordships Graffalo in pursuit of a £105,000 top prize.

Sunday’s demanding cross-country test will be pivotal to the final outcome before the concluding showjumping phase on Monday.

“That was a very good start to the week,” said Townend, who was third on Swallow Springs at Badminton 12 months ago.

“I have two older horses here and I don’t think they have ever felt better, which is a great tribute to my team at home.

“I am very happy with the draw for Swallow Springs and think it will suit him. He is the quickest event horse I have ever sat on.”

London Irish’s game against Exeter looks set to go ahead on Saturday despite the club’s failure to pay staff, with director of rugby Declan Kidney vowing to “keep the flag flying”.

Talks are ongoing between the current ownership and prospective new buyers but, with those negotiations taking place behind the scenes, the April payroll has not been met by either party.

There have been suggestions of a potential boycott of the fixture by players, but Kidney indicated that the team’s desire to end their Gallagher Premiership season on a high remains undimmed.

“I can confirm no employee here – players or staff – has been paid as of yet, but we have been given a lot of assurances from the prospective new ownership that it will happen over the coming days,” he said.

“Preparations (for the match) are in full swing, everything is going ahead. Training has taken place fully. As far as we are concerned we are ploughing ahead to the match on Saturday.

“We are the professional arm of a club that is 124 years old. We know our responsibilities. It is our duty to keep the flag flying here and that is what we are doing.”

Kidney confirmed that all insurance premiums had been covered, removing one possible roadblock to the fixture taking place, but he was unable to shine a light on when things could be expected to reach a conclusion.

While insisting credible promises had been made, the former Ireland coach said no date had been forthcoming for delivery of overdue wages and he had not been made aware of a clear timeline for completion of the sale.

At the end of a season that has seen Worcester and Wasps go bust, such lack of clarity is an obvious worry for all associated with the club, but Kidney has been overwhelmed by the commitment his squad have shown under adversity.

“Obviously there are concerns around it, but they’re not in our control,” he said.

“We’re not the first company to have delayed payments in terms of our salaries but we can only control what we can control. You can draw too many comparisons between us and other teams but I think it would be wrong to do that.

“I can’t speak highly enough of the quality of players I’ve been working with, in terms of application and positiveness.

“These lads are about way more than money. They are just the salt of the earth, fantastic people to work with. Nobody is looking for their hand to be held, everybody is looking forward to getting on with the job.

“All I can say is what happened to date, I cannot guess the future but I can say for certain the quality of people here is so strong. We entrust in the owners and prospective owners will come to a positive resolution here.”

Southern Brave captain Anya Shrubsole predicts women’s cricket is on a path to full professionalisation within a few years.

The former England bowler took six for 46 against India to steer her side to a thrilling nine-run World Cup victory in front of a sold-out Lord’s in 2017, arguably the most memorable moment in her impressive 14-year international career.

The women’s game has accelerated exponentially since then, particularly with the debut of The Hundred in 2021 and, this year, the inaugural Women’s Premier League in India.

“The professionalism is the biggest change,” Shrubsole told the PA news agency.

“Previously you would only be a professional cricketer if you played for England, and then apart from that it was semi-professional, almost a hobby, but you’re asking these players to train as if they’re professional.

“So to have the eight regional teams all with a minimum of 10 professionals, you add the England girls to that, that’s 100 professional female cricketers in this country, all in the last three years, which is just incredible really in such a short space of time and that will keep growing.

“I think it will probably only be a couple of years until we see a fully professional squad across all the regional teams. That’s the thing that’s been the real big difference.”

The two-time World Cup and Ashes winner, 31, stepped down from international duty in April 2022 after earning 173 caps for England across all formats and taking 227 wickets.

The pace bowler still plays domestically for Berkshire, Southern Vipers in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint trophy as a player-coach, and is set to skipper Southern Brave in The Hundred for a third straight season.

Last Saturday saw a world record crowd for a women’s international rugby fixture, 58,498, turn out to watch the Red Roses at Twickenham, two days before Arsenal played their Women’s Champions League semi-final in front of a sold-out 60,063 at the Emirates – a record audience for a women’s club match in England.

On Wednesday, it was announced this month’s women’s FA Cup final will be played in front of a sold-out Wembley for the first time.

Cricket looks to be the next to benefit from the trend driving people to box offices for women’s sport in unprecedented numbers.

More than 66,000 tickets have been snapped up for England women’s fixtures in 2023, already exceeding the total attendance for all 2022 matches, while sales for July’s Ashes have already surpassed figures for the previous two women’s series against Australia combined.

The series finale at Taunton is already sold out, with England hoping to secure the trophy for the first time since 2014.

Shrubsole said: “Yes, you look at the record number of ticket sales but that’s at big grounds as well that England women haven’t played at for a long time.

“The Test match at Trent Bridge, playing at the Oval, playing at Lord’s, the girls are really looking forward to that opportunity to show what they can do on the big stage.

“It’s going to be really hard fought. It’s obviously an England team that’s probably still transitioning a little bit in certain areas, obviously a new coach that’s only been in the role six months, quite a young but very exciting bowling attack. They’re going to have to be at their best.”

ECB organisers hope the Ashes enthusiasm spills over to The Hundred when its third season opens on August 1.

This is the first year the hugely popular women’s Hundred implemented a draft like the men’s competition – something Shrubsole, who was relieved to find herself back in a Brave uniform, agreed was another step forward.

She said: “I think where women’s cricket is going, how much it’s grown, all of those kind of things are just incredible.

“To be in a position to be able to do a draft for the women’s Hundred, to be able to do an auction for the WPL, it’s really incredible and it adds a different dimension. It’s all really exciting.”

Ineos Grenadiers’ deputy team principal Rod Ellingworth has said the British outfit is open to launching a women’s road racing team in the next couple of years.

The Grenadiers, founded in 2010 as Team Sky and boasting one of the biggest budgets in the sport, have long faced questions over potential investment in a women’s squad – something rival teams including Trek-Segafredo, Jumbo-Visma and Movistar have done with considerable success.

In 2021 the team’s former chief executive Fran Millar said the idea had been discussed as far back as 2012 but rejected at board level by Sky, which backed the team until Sir Jim Racliffe’s Ineos took over in 2019.

The Grenadiers last year signed French mountain bike world champion Pauline Ferrand-Prevot to their off-road roster, making her their first female rider, but Ellingworth has now said they are open to further expansion into women’s racing.

A post shared by INEOS Grenadiers (@ineosgrenadiers)

“We’re certainly looking at moving forward,” Ellingworth said. “Obviously bringing Pauline in at the back end of last year, purposefully bringing Pauline in to support her in her Olympic mountain bike campaign.

“She made a brilliant start last week (winning at the French Cup in Gueret) in the world champion’s jersey and she’s been a fantastic addition to the team, so we’re moving in the right direction.”

Ferrand-Prevot, 31, was a world champion on the road in 2014 and has talked of returning to the discipline after the Paris Olympics next summer.

Asked if she might be able to do that in an Ineos jersey, Ellingworth added: “Why not? I’ve always said, you’ve got to follow riders’ dreams and ambitions. You get hold of a rider with really big ambitions and see where they want to go.

“You decide then as a team, are you going to go on that journey or not? If Pauline had the ambition of riding the Tour de France or whatever in the future then what a great story that would be.”

Ineos expanded into off-road racing when they signed Tom Pidcock, the men’s Olympic mountain bike champion and former cyclo-cross world champion, for the start of the 2021 season, and Ellingworth said further expansion could follow.

“There’s no real barrier,” he said. “It’s just a focus thing, the focus of the team and the direction we want go in.

“What we decided a little while back was to broaden out and that was with the mountain bike team with Tom and his ambitions across different disciplines within the sport, then bringing Pauline in.

“I think we’re showing we are looking to spread our wings and do some other things. I think for us all it’s to not just be doing the same things year on year. We’re an ambitious team with ambitious goals and we want to keep moving forward. I think we shall be going in the right direction.”

Rob Baxter says Exeter do not shoulder responsibility for Wales centre Joe Hawkins’ controversial World Cup omission.

Hawkins was left out of Wales’ preliminary World Cup training squad on Monday following his move from Ospreys to Exeter.

The 20-year-old will join the Devon club this summer and, with five caps, has less than the 25 needed to continue at international level and play outside Wales.

National-team head coach Warren Gatland said he was “disappointed” to lose Hawkins for the World Cup in France later this year after Wales’ Professional Rugby Board told him he was ineligible upon studying documentation over the timing of his move to England.

Hawkins, who was first named in a national squad in October 2022 and made his debut against Australia the following month, could still have been deemed available for Wales by eligibility rules if he was uncapped when he signed his Exeter contract.

Exeter rugby director Baxter said: “We don’t take any responsibility because we approached it completely with open arms, with the anticipation that he would play for Wales.

“We felt that we had got everything in place we needed to. We complied with what we were asked to do with the information we had.

“Obviously Wales feel there’s stuff that doesn’t prove certain dates and times that they wanted.

“We haven’t done anything wrong, we certainly haven’t broken any rules.

“I think what will surprise people is how early we looked at Joe. He was playing under-20s rugby and I was watching those games with players we’ve got here.

“We’ve been looking at him for years basically. Whatever has happened has happened, but we’ll get on with it and support Joe in what he wants to do.”

The spotlight was shone on Wales’ eligibility rules after Gatland named a 54-man squad that, while omitting Hawkins, did include former England prop Henry Thomas, France-bound Dragons forward Will Rowlands and Japan-based Cory Hill.

Thomas, capped seven times by England between 2013 and 2014, has served World Rugby’s stand down period of three years to represent another country.

The 31-year-old Montpellier tighthead has not been capped by Wales, so is not affected by the 25-cap criteria.

Thomas would, however, have to play in Wales after his current Montpellier deal expires should he be capped in the meantime.

Rowlands has won 23 caps and his registration will remain in Wales before he joins Paris-based Racing 92 next season.

Two World Cup warm-up games against England and another with South Africa in August could take Rowlands to the 25-cap mark.

Asked if he was surprised by Hawkins’ World Cup omission, Baxter said he was a “little bit”, but added: “It certainly isn’t my place to be critical of the WRU (Welsh Rugby Union).

“I’ve got to be very careful without knowing in depth what the situation is in Wales, what the regions’ thoughts are on it.

“There is a lot going on within rugby across the world, a lot going on in the Premiership.

“But if Wales decide they don’t want to take Joe to the World Cup then that’s their decision.”

Sports stars and clubs across the world continue to provide an insight into their lives on social media.

Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the best examples from May 2.

An announcement from Serena Williams.

A post shared by Serena Williams (@serenawilliams)

Andy Murray was “gutted” to have missed the Met Gala.

Birthday wishes for David Beckham.

A post shared by Gary Neville (@gneville2)

A post shared by Victoria Beckham (@victoriabeckham)

David Rocastle was remembered on his birthday.

Kasper Schmeichel reflected on Monday Night Football duties.

A third baby for Sam Warburton.

A post shared by Sam Warburton (@samwarbs)

Job satisfaction for Joe Cordina.

Will Lando Norris opt for another NBA-style helmet this weekend?

Daniel Ricciardo scrubbed up well for the Met Gala.

It was like Christmas in Romain Grosjean’s house.

Wembley Stadium was sold out as England captain Leah Williamson lifted the Women’s Euro trophy last summer – and now professional wrestler Jamie Hayter is the next female looking to inspire a generation under the arch.

Just over a year on from the Lionesses’ history-making afternoon, Eastleigh-born Hayter will perform at Wembley as part of All Elite Wrestling’s ‘All In: London’ show on August 27.

It will be the first time in 31 years that professional wrestling has taken place at the venue as Tony Khan – also Fulham’s technical director – brings his promotion to the United Kingdom for the first time.

Hayter, currently the company’s women’s champion, is one of several British performers on the roster at AEW and she is aiming to follow in the footsteps of Williamson and her England football team-mates.

Asked if there are glass ceilings being shattered across women’s sport, the 28-year-old said: “Absolutely. I mean, when the Lionesses played at Wembley, it was sold out.

“That was inspirational and a sensational moment for women’s football – that shows that it is something that people want to see, people do want to go and support women’s sport.

“People do want to be there, they want to be amongst all these exciting and brilliant achievements and I just hope that we can keep proving everybody wrong and keep doing it.

“Any women’s sports, especially nowadays, is really a lot more popular we just have to keep it going. I think the landscape of women’s wrestling has changed so much and that’s the beauty of it.

“I get that wrestling is an acquired taste and women’s wrestling in itself is also an acquired taste but Wembley will be a great opportunity to really showcase what woman can do because it’s come on leaps and bounds.

“I think every single year, women’s wrestling just gets better and better and more interesting – it is mirroring other sports and society in general.

“The last time I wrestled in front of a crowd in the UK was before the pandemic. There were just over 200 people there – so going from that to Wembley is going to be insane.”

The stakes could be even higher for Hayter, who could yet face fellow British talent Saraya at Wembley.

Subject of the 2019 film “Fighting with My Family” starring Florence Pugh and written by Stephen Merchant, Norwich-born Saraya was someone Hayter looked up to as he was coming through the ranks.

“I mean, who wouldn’t want to headline at Wembley Stadium,” Hayter told the PA news agency.

“I think if I just get the opportunity to perform there, I will be extremely happy. Of course, being the headline act would be incredible and that would be an absolute privilege for me, especially if Saraya is involved.

“She is wrestling royalty, in my opinion, especially in the UK. Seeing a British girl come through as she did was amazing to see and she has set the bar – we talked about inspiring women and she was a pioneer of that.”

:: Exclusive pre-sales are now under way. Tickets for “AEW: All In London at Wembley Stadium” go on sale to the general public this Friday, May 5 at 9 a.m. BST. Tickets can be purchased at ticketmaster.co.uk/AEWWembley.

Leeds are considering sacking Javi Gracia after just two months in charge, according to reports, with Sam Allardyce said to be among the names in the frame to replace him.

Gracia was appointed as Jesse Marsch’s successor in February, on a deal until the end of the season, with Leeds in the bottom three at the time.

Former Watford boss Gracia won three of his first six games in charge as Leeds climbed to 13th.

But Leeds’ terrible April – which saw them lose successive home games to Crystal Palace and Liverpool 5-1 and 6-1 and concede 23 goals – has left them perilously close to the relegation zone.

After Sunday’s 4-1 defeat at Bournemouth, Leeds are now 17th and just outside the bottom three on goal difference ahead of Saturday’s visit to leaders Manchester City.

A daunting run-in also includes home games against Newcastle and Tottenham and a trip to West Ham.

Former England manager Allardyce has emerged as a strong contender to succeed Gracia at Elland Road should the Spaniard be sacked.

The 68-year-old has been out of football since leaving West Brom in May 2021 following his first top-flight relegation.

Lee Bowyer, who made 265 appearances for Leeds between 1996 and 2003 and has managed Charlton and Birmingham, has also been mentioned as a possible short-term replacement.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is hoping to meet with England and West Ham star Declan Rice, 24, as soon as the season ends, with the Gunners eager to secure the £100million-rated midfielder’s signature, the Mirror said.

Arsenal are also looking to add depth to their side as they consider a bid for Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi, who has played three games for England and captained Palace on several occasions, according to the Daily Mail.

Tottenham have also showed interest in the 22-year-old who has played 78 times for Palace since moving from Chelsea in 2021.

If Southampton get relegated  captain James Ward-Prowse could be on the move, with Tottenham and Newcastle both waiting to see what price tag gets put on the England international midfielder, the Daily Mail said.

The Mirror says Manchester United are reportedly considering signing Roma striker Tammy Abraham as an alternative if they cannot tempt Harry Kane away from Tottenham this summer.

Michael Olise: Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson said the club could struggle to keep the 21-year-old French winger, with Arsenal and Paris St Germain reportedly among those interested, the Evening Standard said.

Randal Kolo Muani : The Eintracht Frankfurt forward is reportedly being chased by Manchester United and Bayern Munich as both clubs look to sign the 24-year-old France international.

Leicester completed one of the biggest sporting fairy-tales of all time on this day in 2016 when they were crowned Premier League champions.

The Foxes defied odds of 5,000-1 at the start of the season to win the title for the first time in the club’s 132-year history.

They began the campaign among the favourites for relegation under new manager Claudio Ranieri, but having lost 19 matches the previous season, fell to just three defeats on the way to a stunning triumph.

Leicester were deserved champions having won at both title rivals Manchester City and Tottenham, while an unbeaten run from mid-February proved beyond any doubt they had the nerve to finish the job.

In the end, a little help from the previous Premier League winners Chelsea helped complete their rise from relegation fodder to champions.

Second-half goals from Chelsea pair Gary Cahill and Eden Hazard secured a 2-2 draw against second-placed Tottenham, halting Spurs’ bid on a night of high drama that Leicester’s players watched unfold from striker Jamie Vardy’s home.

Foxes fans coined the chant ‘Jamie Vardy’s having a party’ and the top scorer had quite the shindig in Melton Mowbray, where videos showed the group celebrating wildly as the title was confirmed.

Ranieri’s experience was more tranquil having flown back from Italy after visiting his 96-year-old mother in Rome to return home in time to watch Tottenham’s draw with his family.

“I am very, very happy now because maybe if I won this title at the beginning of my career maybe I would forget,” Ranieri, then 64, said. “Now I am an old man I can feel it much better.

“I said every time I am very happy for the fans, for the chairman and for all the Leicester community. I don’t know the secret. The players, the heart, the soul and how they play.”

Leicester boss Dean Smith refused to blame James Maddison after his penalty miss in the chaotic 2-2 draw with Everton.

Jordan Pickford saved the forward’s first-half spot kick, denying the Foxes a 3-1 lead, and Alex Iwobi salvaged a point for the Toffees.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s spot kick opener was swiftly cancelled out by Caglar Soyuncu and Jamie Vardy in a thrilling game.

The draw lifted Leicester out of the drop zone on goal difference, with Everton – who lost Seamus Coleman to a serious looking knee injury – second bottom and a point from safety with four games left.

Boss Dean Smith said: “James is our top scorer, if he scores no-one is asking the question. The goalkeeper stood up which not many do. It happens.

“There were times I felt it was two points lost, there were times I felt it was a point gained.

“In the first half we were second best for long periods, the game became a bit like basketball and we were counter attacking at home which is not what we want.

“I was disappointed as we were second best for the first half. There was just so many unforced errors.

“We’ve just played Leeds and Everton, got two points out of it. If we had won one and lost one would that have put us in a better situation because one of our rivals would have had three points?

“We know we will play better, there’s more to come.”

Daniel Iversen thwarted Iwobi early but Calvert-Lewin’s penalty put Everton ahead on 15 minutes after the striker was barged over by Timothy Castagne in the box.

Leicester levelled seven minutes later when Soyuncu steered in from Wout Faes’ knockback.

Just 11 minutes later they turned it around when Maddison sent Vardy clear to round Pickford and score.

Calvert-Lewin then missed a fine chance to level and Vardy hit the bar after a quick break.

Coleman was carried off after a Boubakary Soumare challenge before Pickford’s crucial stop when he stayed to beat away Maddison’s penalty when the forward went down the middle following Michael Keane’s handball.

The notes on Maddison’s technique on the goalkeeper’s water bottle said ‘stay’.

Iwobi took advantage to find the corner after 54 minutes and a thrilling game continued when James Tarkowski cleared Vardy’s goal bound header.

Iversen ensured it would finish level with a fine save from Abdoulaye Doucoure with Leicester unbeaten in their last three games.

Everton boss Sean Dyche said: “It’s a such a strange journey since I’ve been here. When I got here they’d taken five points from 12 games now we’re a point for point on games. Now it’s about taking it on even further.

“Sometimes you think ‘I don’t know how they are 2-1 up’ and I certainly thought that at half time. The composure of the team to keep performing in the second half was pleasing and we’re going to keep needing that.

“I’ve seen this league change many times. We’ve got tough games but everyone’s got tough games, this stage of the season is about tough games.

“Every game should be a must win when you are a professional. I thought it was a very good performance, the will, the demand but also the quality to create things.

“All the markers which usually bring a win were there. They didn’t but we have to keep doing that because it shows there’s a clear shift from the last game.”

On Coleman he added: “We’re waiting on news. It doesn’t look great and we’re waiting on more details.”