LEICESTER City goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel claims the pressure of dropping out of the Football League with Bury in 2006 was greater than his current Premier League title challenge.

The 29-year-old initially joined the Shakers on February 21, 2006 on loan from neighbours Manchester City.

The young stopper swiftly became a vital component of Chris Casper's side as they avoided relegation from League Two on the final day of the season with a 2-2 draw at Notts County.

Dwayne Mattis and Tom Youngs had given Bury a 2-0 lead but the Magpies hit back, striking twice in the last nine minutes to equalise, a result which kept both clubs up and relegated Oxford United.

“Relegation with Bury was on the line at Notts County,” Schmeichel told BBC Sport. “That would have meant Bury going into non-league and that would have been catastrophic.

“There's no pressure now, this is what you play football for. Those games where absolutely everything is on the line, that's proper pressure.

"When you go out on loan it's not the glitz and glamour, there's nowhere near the amount of money at the top level. People's livelihoods are on the line, mortgages and families.

“You are making decisions that can affect people.”

The taste of first-team action at Bury only increased Schmeichel's hunger to make it to the very top of the game.

And now the goalkeeper is only three wins away from securing the title with Leicester, but he insists he will always be thankful for his time spent out on loan, including the 29 appearances he made for the Shakers.

He said: "I've never wanted not to play and never wanted to sit on the bench again. I always want to play, no matter what.

"It was vital for me to get out, it's given me a great education and a way of adapting to a team I've been playing in.

“I always wanted them (loan moves) because I was doing nothing more at Manchester City than training."