Shakespeare pens Leicester deal

LONDON: Craig Shakespeare has signed a three-year contract as manager of Leicester City, the former Premier League champions announced on Thursday.

Shakespeare, 53, was promoted from his role as assistant coach on an interim basis following the shock dismissal of Claudio Ranieri in February.

His appointment sparked a striking upturn in form that saw Leicester secure their Premier League status and reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

“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 quotes published on the Leicester website.

Shakespeare had no previous managerial experience when he stepped into the hotseat following Ranieri’s dismissal, which came with Leicester a point above the relegation zone.

But he inspired the team to five straight league wins and they finished the season in a respectable 12th place.

Ranieri, architect of Leicester’s 5,000-1 Premier League title win in 2016, was sacked after a 2-1 loss at Sevilla in the Champions League last 16.

Shakespeare masterminded a 2-0 win in the return leg and then saw his team succumb to an honourable 2-1 aggregate defeat against Atletico Madrid in the last eight.

Shakespeare previously worked at Leicester as an assistant to Nigel Pearson and stayed on at the King Power Stadium after Pearson left in 2015.

His first task will be persuading Riyad Mahrez to stay at the club after the Algeria winger announced he has decided to leave. AFP