London: Leicester City have appointed Craig Shakespeare manager on a permanent basis after he rescued the Premier League club from relegation last season.
The 53-year-old signed a three-year contract yesterday to stay in charge of the first team after taking over as caretaker following the departure of Claudio Ranieri in February.
Ranieri led rank outsiders Leicester to the title in the 2015-16 season, but an abysmal defence of their crown led to the Italian leaving the club midway through the campaign.
“This is a really exciting opportunity for me to continue along this new path in my career and to continue to work with a club and a group of staff I’ve grown extremely close to,” Shakespeare said in a statement on Leicester’s website. (www.lcfc.com) “I’m grateful to the owners and the Board of Directors for their continued faith and support.
“Our preparations for pre-season and the new Premier League campaign have been ongoing for some time, but we can now move on with certainty and ensure we are well equipped to compete at the levels now expected of a club like Leicester City.”