Leicester confirm Shakespeare appointment
Premier League champions Leicester City have appointed Craig Shakespeare as manager until the end of the season.
Shakespeare was formerly assistant to Claudio Ranieri but now gets the chance to stake his claim for the job on a long-term basis after the Italian was sacked just over nine months after leading the Foxes to the most remarkable title success in Premier League history.
Having stepped into the breach on a caretaker role following Ranieri's departure, Shakespeare has led Leicester to successive home wins over Liverpool and Hull City.
Leicester host Sevilla on Tuesday, nursing a 2-1 deficit from the first leg of the Champions League last-16 tie that proved to be Ranieri's last game at the helm.
BREAKING: #lcfc is pleased to confirm Craig Shakespeare as its First Team Manager for the rest of the 2016/17 season. More follows… pic.twitter.com/CAqr5NPLiL
— Leicester City (@LCFC) March 12, 2017
Vice-chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha said: "Craig's skills as a coach and the high regard in which he is held by everyone the club were well known to us. We always knew the team would be in good hands when we asked him to take charge a fortnight ago.
"He has initiated the type of positive response that we hoped change would bring, showing great leadership qualities and composure under considerable pressure to produce two very important results. We have asked him to continue to lead the team this season and we are very happy that he has accepted."
Shakespeare is in his second spell at Leicester, having been brought back to the club by the Srivaddhanaprabha family following the appointment of Nigel Pearson in 2011.
The 53-year-old, who has been at Leicester for seven of the last eight seasons, is also a part of Gareth Southgate's coaching setup with the England national team.
Leicester are 15th in the Premier League, three points clear of the relegation zone.