Leicester City manager Nigel Pearson drives into his players the importance of competing right until the final whistle, midfielder Andy King has revealed

King struck the winner for City in the fourth minute of added time against Plymouth Argyle on Saturday and it wasn't the first time City have left it late.

Dany N'Guessan struck a 90th minute equaliser at Watford, while Bruno Berner has twice struck to snatch added-time consolations in defeats against Preston and West Bromwich Albion. City also produced late strikes several times last season, and King said it was Pearson who drives them on in the final stages of games as opponents start to fade.

"We have strong belief in the side that we will always score goals and that 95-minute mentality has been drilled into us," said King, whose goal against the Pilgrims was his first of the season.

"It is something he has instilled in us since he came to the club. You only have to look at his track record as a manager.

"We have scored a fair amount of late goals and that is definitely his doing."

King is now targeting more goals and is aiming to emulate the 11 he scored as City marched towards the League One title.

The Wales international has been used mainly as a holding midfielder this season, but Pearson changed the system on Saturday and that gave the 21-year-old more attacking freedom.

"We played a different formation which allowed me to get forward more with a bit more freedom, but whatever the gaffer wants me to do I am more than happy to do to help the team," he said. "I am usually in and around the box for a corner anyway and it just happened to drop down where I was.

"This new system did mean I was a bit further up the pitch. But we had a lot of strikers on, so I didn't have too much licence because they are going to be the furthest forward and I have a responsibility defensively as well."

The victory lifted City into third place in the Championship table, two points ahead of Swansea in fourth.

However, King said nobody in the City camp was getting carried away with their progress.

"It is such early days and the gaffer is not going to let us get ahead of ourselves," said King.

"We are not going to get carried away anyway because we know there is still such a long way to go. We are aware of how strong and tough this league is, and if you lose a couple of games you are back in mid-table.

"We just have to keep our feet on the ground and keep going.

"We looked at the table at the start of the season and analysed where we would like to be, and we thought there was no reason why we can't be top six or top eight. We have just carried on our good form from last season and it is coming good."