Ten years to the day after the Foxes were crowned Premier League champions, Mavididi’s 78th-minute strike saw Leicester pick up just their second win in the last 21 games of a dismal season which has seen them drop into the third tier for only the second time in their 142-year history.

Blackburn had only ensured their own safety with a win at Sheffield United last time out and could not follow it up as they passed up several excellent chances early in the second half.

But this was only their fifth defeat in 15 games under Michael O’Neill and fans remain keen for the 56-year-old to stay on next season if a deal can be reached with the Irish Football Association to prise him out of his role as Northern Ireland boss.

Eight of Leicester’s starting XI played for the club in the Premier League, but they were firmly on the backfoot until producing the first real chance for either side midway through the first half.

When Blackburn could only half clear a corner Harry Winks sent the ball to the back post for Harry Souttar, but Balazs Toth was down smartly to keep out his header.

Leicester suddenly had a head of steam. Toth palmed away Mavididi’s shot and from the resulting corner there was a goalmouth scramble in which Blackburn somehow repelled efforts from both Jannik Vestergaard and Hamza Choudhury before 16-year-old Jeremy Monga fired wide.

Another teenager, 17-year-old Louis Page, had the next sight of goal but was denied by Toth.

Blackburn belatedly had their first effort on goal in the 37th minute when Moussa Baradji cut in from the left and hit a low drive which Jakub Stolarczyk pushed to safety.

The hosts should have led seconds into the second half as they had two glorious chances. First Ryan Alebiosu picked out Baradji, who had time to take a touch before somehow putting it wide of the right-hand post.

Moments later, Ryoya Morishita won the ball back and laid it off for top-scorer Yuki Ohashi, who poked wide of the opposite post from almost the same spot.

With half-time substitutes Todd Cantwell and Taylor Gardner-Hickman adding impetus, Blackburn kept pushing, but Ohashi headed over from a corner before Stolarczyk repelled a driving shot from Alebiosu and Cantwell hit a volley wide. Gardner-Hickman then curled a fine effort just over.

At the other end another substitute was desperately close as Jordan Ayew cut in from the right and hit a low shot which Toth did well to push wide.

Moments later, the 2,000 travelling fans could celebrate as Mavididi thumped in at the second attempt, with the ball sitting up nicely after his first shot was blocked.

Vestergaard tested Toth again with a late free-kick, but there were few celebrations from Leicester players at the final whistle.