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Vardy: Leicester playing to make Srivaddhanaprabha proud

Mourners Pay Tribute After Leicester City Helicopter Crash

LEICESTER, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 29: Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, son of the late Leicester City owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, stands with Jamie Vardy (R) as they pay their respects at the sea of tributes to the victims of the crash at Leicester City Football Club’s King Power Stadium on October 28, 2018 in Leicester, England. The owner of Leicester City Football Club, Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, was among the five people who died in the helicopter crash on Saturday evening after the club’s game against West Ham. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

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The Leicester City fanbase, employees and squad have been in mourning since the tragic events following Leicester City’s 1-1 draw last Saturday. It’s been an unthinkably tough week for the team and the family of former owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, and according to striker Jamie Vardy, the players were offered the chance to postpone this Saturday’s game against Cardiff City.

Instead, Vardy and the team came to a unanimous decision. They’ll play the game.

“We need to make sure we do him proud on the pitch,” Vardy told the BBC. “Everyone came to a unanimous decision, we get out there and make sure we prepare for an important game. “It was a tough decision [to play at Cardiff]. But knowing what Vichai would have wanted meant it was an easier decision to make.”

Leicester City manager Claude Puel has said that the match result is “not important,” and it will be interesting to see the emotion the Leicester players play with when they take the field. Following the match, the squad will all travel to Bangkok to pay their respects at Srivaddhanaprabha’s funeral.

The club had already canceled its Carabao Cup match with Southampton that was set to take place on Tuesday.