BEN Mee is anticipating an emotional afternoon on his return to Leicester City on Saturday.

For this weekend’s meeting at the King Power Stadium is the Foxes’ first home game since owner and chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha was tragically killed, along with four others, in a helicopter crash just outside the stadium last month, just after taking off from the pitch after the 1-1 home draw with West Ham.

The billionaire Thai businessman, who was the owner and chairman of King Power Duty Free, bought Leicester City in August 2010 as part of the Asia Football Investments consortium, which included his son Aiyawatt.

He succeeded Milan Mandarić as chairman of the club in February 2011 while continuing as owner, and Aiyawatt became the vice chairman.

It was during this period that Mee made a loan move to Leicester from Manchester City until the end of the season, under former City boss Sven-Goran Eriksson. While there, the defender met Srivaddhanaprabha, who went on to deliver the ‘impossible dream’ as Leicester were crowned Premier League champions in 2016.

“I’d met him when I was there. The success at the club was there after I left, he was new to the club when I was there, but I had met him,” said Mee of Srivaddhanaprabha, who has been mourned by the football world.

“It was really sad, you just don’t expect something like that to happen. My thoughts go out to all involved, the family of the chairman, the pilots and everyone involved.

“He brought Sven in, who brought me in to the club at the time. I had a little bit of a connection there and a connection with the club. It was really sad to see and such a freak thing to happen.”

Leicester City returned to action with a 1-0 win at Cardiff City last weekend, backed by 3,000 travelling supporters, before flying out as a squad and staff to Thailand for part of Srivaddhanaprabha’s funeral in Bangkok.

Saturday’s fixture will be the first time Leicester have had a scheduled home game since the accident.

And Mee feels it is bound to be an emotional occasion for the hosts in particular.

“It will be a strange sort of atmosphere and a difficult occasion,” said the Clarets defender.

“But I’m sure himself and the family would have wanted everyone to carry on at Leicester and do well for the club on his behalf and the families’ behalf.”