(Reuters) - Leicester City's march to the Premier League title has been accompanied by a boost in sales revenue, with global exports of club merchandise more than doubling this season.
According to statistics released on Friday by DHL, the club's official logistics partner, the United States is now importing more Leicester shirts, mugs and general merchandise than any other country, four times more than the next biggest importer, Australia.
Leicester merchandise has been exported to 66 countries in all - more than twice as many as at the start of the season - while the efforts of Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri and the forward, Shinji Okazaki, have boosted sales in Italy and Japan respectively.
“It was brilliant to see the team’s hard work and dedication pay off this season,” Ian Flanagan, Leicester's commercial director, said.
“And thanks to the success on the pitch, we’ve had great success for the business too. As our team becomes more globally renowned, it is important we continue to reach our fans wherever they are.”