Harry Pickering was delighted to end a “difficult” season on a high note at Leicester – and hopes Rovers can kick on from here.

The defender played the full 90 minutes at the King Power Stadium as John Eustace’s side secured a stunning victory to preserve their Championship status. It proved to be a vital result, with Birmingham, Plymouth and Sheffield Wednesday all winning on the final day.

The squad showed resilience to keep a dangerous Leicester attack at bay, with Pickering making several important blocks. Aynsley Pears made an impressive double save to deny Harry Winks and Kelechi Iheanacho on one of the few occasions the Foxes managed to break down Rovers’ backline.

Pickering admitted it has been a “difficult” campaign but was relieved to get the job done against the champions.

The 25-year-old also hailed the supporters for sticking with the team through all the highs and lows over the past few months.

“It was a massive win,” he told RoversTV. “We saw the other results come in and it turned out we needed it.

“A brilliant performance from the boys and great away support again. The fans have been with us through thick and thin this season, they have always supported us. It was a great day.

“Obviously, we knew it was going to be a tough game. They have got really good players – the likes of Vardy and Winks.

“They controlled most of the game with possession but I don’t think they made many chances, maybe a few in the second half.

“We looked dangerous on the counter attack and got two brilliant goals that Szmods scored. We are made up to stay in the division.

“This season has been really frustrating, especially difficult for the fans because they expect better and we expect better as a team. Hopefully, next season we can kick on and have a better season.”

Pickering was not aware that Rovers’ relegation rivals were all winning until after the final whistle in Leicester.

The versatile defender reckons that actually helped him on the day, allowing him to focus on the task at hand rather than worrying about things they could not control.

He also insists the clean sheet was a real team effort – with the midfielders and attackers carrying out important work off the ball before the back five were called into action.

“To be honest, I did not have a clue (about other results),” he grinned. “Obviously, we knew certain scores at half time but throughout the first and second halves, we did not have a clue.

“I think that helped us really, we were just focusing on ourselves and trying to get the job done. We did that and everyone was really good.

“Pearsy pulled off a worldie save and Szmods scored two great goals. It was just a great day all round.”