Publications
Partners
Cape Town - Martin O'Neill believes Leicester City are showing signs of the legendary Nottingham Forest team that became English and European champions under Brian Clough.
The Foxes are on the brink of winning the Premier League this season as they hold a five-point lead over second-placed Tottenham with seven games to go. To put the achievement into perspective, at the same stage last season they were rooted the foot of the table glaring at the prospect of relegation to the Championship.
O'Neill, who is considered as one of the East Midlands club's most successful managers, played for Clough's Forest side when they won the league a year after winning promotion to England's top flight.
"I see a lot of similarities," the Republic of Ireland boss said in a BBC Radio 5 live special.
"There are players I can identify with who are similar in roles they are playing for each side - Riyad Mahrez is a very creative player a bit like John Robertson, your outfield genius, Jamie Vardy looks like Tony Woodcock.
"They are similar with the two players at the back, with Larry Lloyd and Kenny Burns, you could go right through the side and see similarities.
"It is remarkable in this day and age - when big clubs with a lot of money to spend are ruling the roost - for Leicester to come and win this championship would be an almighty achievement.
"Without question there is romance about the story - people are talking about it all over Europe," O'Neill added. "I was in France recently for a Uefa meeting and it was the talk of the evening, people are really taking note.
"It is a great story and if they do it, it would be the story of the century."
