Matty James: Leicester City prepared for promotion run-in

Midfielder Matty James believes the experience of last season's miserable run in February and March will benefit Leicester City this time around.

The Foxes are eight points clear at the top of the Championship table, but they were also well set last term and only ended up scraping into the play-offs.

"We are not getting complacent," James, 22, told BBC East Midlands Today. "We know how quickly it can turn around.

"It did last season and that experience is helping us this season."

Leicester's nine-game winning run in the league came to an end with a 2-2 draw against Watford on Saturday.

The Foxes are eight points ahead of Burnley and 11 ahead of Queens Park Rangers, although Rangers have a game in hand.

Last season City were second in February but had a run of just one victory in 13 games at one point and only reached the play-offs following a dramatic win over local rivals Nottingham Forest on the final day of the campaign.

James, who joined the Foxes in May 2012, added: "We are really confident but we do not want to be getting arrogant with it.

"We can beat any side in this league. We just have to keep going. We don't want to have the same dip in form we had last March, but I don't think we will.

"If we do have a dip I am sure we have enough experience in the side to cope and kick on again."

James said their recent run - which included a hugely impressive 4-1 hammering of in-form promotion rivals Derby County - has been "magnificent".

"I have never experienced anything like this in my career," he said.

"It's unbelievable to be a part of, to be in a winning side and to be in a confident team makes things easier.

"We are playing some really good football and winning games.

"In the dressing room on matchdays we are full of confidence. Everybody is encouraging each other and if we do make a mistake we always feel like we can get back into the game and we always feel like we can win every game.

"From an individual point of view I feel like I am playing really well and from a collective point of view it has been magnificent so far.

"We just have to keep it going. We cannot let our foot off the gas and have to keep pushing on and hopefully get promoted."

James started his career at Manchester United, but never made a first-team appearance during his time at Old Trafford.

However, he said being in and around the club and part of the squad working under Sir Alex Ferguson was amazing.

"I was on the bench five times, but I never made it on to the pitch," James explained.

"That in itself was a great experience, travelling with the first-team players and seeing how they prepare and being in and around them as normal human beings, not as players, was a great experience.

"I went on loan to Preston which took me out of that environment and made me grow up a bit and learn that not every club has the facilities that Man United has."

But James hopes he will soon be facing his old club on equal footing in a league game.

"The set-up here at Leicester and the fanbase means the club is made to be in the Premier League," he said.