HE WAS the gift to Leicester City Football Club who just kept giving.

In the world’s richest league, more famed for its greed than its goodness, Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha won the hearts of Foxes fans for his legendary generosity.

Whether it was a £105,000 gleaming BMWi8 in Leicester colours or a £10,000 casino chip to his 2016 title winners – or a humble doughnut and bottle of beer for fans – the 61-year-old Bankok-born billionaire got a huge kick out of sharing the wealth.

Not in any lavish, brash, crude attempt to buy friends and influence people, but because he bought into Leicester City – from the Foxes superstar players to the average cash-strapped fan.

His name “Srivaddhanaprabha” was bestowed to him in 2012 by Thailand’s former King Bhumibol, for his charity work centring on education and children’s health issues – and for raising his nation’s profile and prestige in the wider world.

It means “light of progressive glory” in Thai.

That turned out to become a pretty accurate description of Vichai’s impact on this close-knit East Midlands ‘family club,’ with the diverse fan base.

He lit the blue touch-paper which transformed the King Power Stadium from a sleepy League One backwater to a floodlit cathedral, which became the stage for some thrilling Champions’ League heroics.

Progress?

It arrived in every department as he brought the Foxes up to speed with the big-hitters of the Premier League and Europe, with a stadium and a team to be proud of.

That progress was palpable and witnessed worldwide when Vichai’s City enjoyed their finest hour.

Premier League champions. As Foxes fans love to taunt their rivals: “You’ll NEVER sing that.”

Vichai made a promise to fans in 2014, following the club’s promotion to the Premier League – after winning the Championship at a canter – he would spend £180m to reach the top five within three years.

Two years later and with roughly a third of that money spent, Leicester were crowned Premier League champions.

Claudio Ranieri’s 5000/1 shots who came good, sending shockwaves throughout the world of sport with the greatest sporting miracle ever in the eyes of many.

Today the shockwaves reverberating all over the globe are all connected to Saturday night’s terrible tragedy.

From Bangkok to the Leicestershire village of Burbage there is a sense of grief and of loss.

At grass roots games in Leicestershire kids of all ages, colours and creeds joined together to observe a minute’s silence in his honour.

In the Leicestershire village of Market Bosworth at an Under-12s match there was a Leicester City scarf tied to the Respect barrier by the pitch.

From wealthy Leicestershire farmers and landowners, to the city’s cosmopolitan immigrant population, they all got something out of Srivaddhanaprabha’s Foxes revolution.

His son and club vice-chairman, Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, once said his father’s Thai values had rubbed off on the club.

“It’s the Thai culture. We give our time to the staff, the players and to the manager. We try to manage it like a family, to listen to the problems of every single member of staff,” he said.

It was no idle boast as I witnessed on Saturday night. From burly 6ft5 security staff to petite hospitality staff and receptionists, there were hugs and tears. Hearts were genuinely broken.

Kasper Schmeichel, the Danish giant who had captained the club earlier that day and led them out against West Ham stood numbed, tears rolling down his cheeks as he gazed at the blazing destruction outside before being ushered back inside on Saturday.

The Foxes leader knew Vichai better than most having spent seven of his eight years at the club under his ownership. Schmeichel remained in the stadium beyond 1am after the West Ham game as he tried to comprehend his loss – football’s loss.

There was a genuine warmth for the Thai businessman who gave foreign owners a good name.

A year ago 60 people were gifted free 2018/19 Leicester City season tickets to mark his 60th birthday.

At the other end of the scale he donated vast amounts to charity, hospitals and trusts- earlier this year he donated £1million to the Leicester City Foxes Foundation to continue thar Loughborougheir charity work.

Vichai was more than just an owner at Leicester – he was the gift that kept on giving

In the past fortnight however he lavished his biggest gift yet to his club – one which he hoped will take his club to their next level.

Planning permission was granted for a £1million state-of the-art training complex at the former Forest Hills Golf Course near Loughborough to nurture the next generation of Leicester City stars.

It is a tragedy the club’s Thai miracle worker will not be around to see the fruits it will bear.