LONDON, 11 Apr. (dpa/EP) –
Leicester City have appointed Dean Smith first team coach until the end of the season with the mission of getting the ‘foxes’ out of relegation and achieving permanence.
The former Aston Villa manager, who has been out of work since leaving Norwich earlier this year, will manage the final eight games of the campaign following the sacking of Brendan Rodgers last week.
The ‘foxes’ have lost the two games they have played since Rodgers left, which has left them penultimate, but only two points from safety.
“I am very happy to have the opportunity to lead the team during these last weeks of the season. The challenge before us is clear, but it is one that both myself and my technical team have experienced before and, with the quality of this squad and the number of games remaining, it’s very doable. Our first job is to regain confidence and instill faith in the team, and I’m looking forward to starting to work with the players this week,” Smith said.
Leicester chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha was enthusiastic about the addition of Smith. “His leadership, coaching and motivational qualities will be vital assets for us over the next eight games as we fight to secure our Premier League stay. We’ve had a difficult season but I’m sure we have the quality we need in our squad to win this battle,” he said.
“Dean’s experience will be key to unleash that potential, help the team regain confidence and channel the support of our fans, which will be very important during these last eight games,” he concluded.