Shakespeare named permanent manager of Leicester City

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 on Thursday 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."

Shakespeare joined Leicester's coaching staff as assistant to Nigel Pearson in 2008, spending a season with Hull City in 2010-11 before being brought back to the King Power Stadium in 2011.

Leicester were flirting with relegation when Shakespeare took over, but he won his first five games in succession to help them to a 12th-placed finish in the Premier League.

He also guided the club to the quarter-finals of the Champions League, where they were knocked out by Atletico Madrid.