Milan Mandaric said he knew Leicester City would flourish under Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha s leadership because the Thai businessman was a unique character.
Srivaddhanaprabha was one of five victims in a helicopter crash at the King Power Stadium following Leicester s 1-1 draw with West Ham in the Premier League on Saturday.
His death came as a shock to the footballing world, with tributes left at the Foxes ground in the days following the crash.
Mandaric sold his majority share in the Foxes to Srivaddhanaprabha s consortium in 2010 when Leicester were a Championship team.
Under Srivaddhanaprabha s ownership, Leicester earned promotion to the Premier League and lifted the title in 2015-16 after a fairytale season.
And that success came as no surprise to Mandaric, who paid tribute to the man who succeeded him in the East Midlands.
I didn t meet too many people like that in my life, so that s what separates him [from everyone else], Mandaric told Sky Sports.
He was just generous with everything, he would never let you pay for coffee and it s not the money, it s the way he handled things. You just felt comfortable around him.
I knew they [Leicester] would do well with him, I knew he would win the respect and admiration because he s that type of person. I just can t believe it.
Leicester s EFL Cup fourth-round tie with Southampton, which was set for Tuesday, has been postponed, but their Premier League clash with Cardiff City remains on the schedule for this weekend as it stands.
