Delighted Leicester manager Nigel Pearson has already set his sights on establishing the club in the Premier League next season.

A 75th-minute penalty from David Nugent gave champions Leicester a 1-0 win and relegated Doncaster, who brought on Saints loanee Billy Sharp as a late sub, to League One.

Ex-Saints boss Pearson said: “I was very pleased because when you have achieved all the goals you want to achieve before the end of the season, there is not a lot of pressure on us. “But for us to go out there today and finish in front of our own fans with a positive result and the added benefit of being one of the few sides to go beyond 100 points, is a great achievement.

“People talk about us romping to the title. But it hasn't always been that. We have had to work hard. “Clearly for us the next step for this club's development is to try and establish ourselves as a Premier League side.

“That's not the easiest thing to achieve but we have a group of players here who I think will do well with a few additions.

“It is not going to be a case of rebuilding or a major overhaul. There are not going to be huge changes in terms of the playing squad.” The win was City's 31st of the season and took them to a record 102 points.

The game also marked the last professional appearance of former Saints striker Kevin Phillips.

The 40-year-old, who has won promotion to the Premier League with Sunderland, West Bromwich Albion, Birmingham, Crystal Palace and now Leicester, ended his career with exactly 250 league goals.