Leicester have made the shock decision to appoint former Chelsea and Juventus boss Claudio Ranieri as their new manager, handing the Italian a three-year contract.

The Foxes have been on the lookout for a new head coach since taking the decision to sack Nigel Pearson last month , the 51-year-old getting the boot despite guiding the King Power Stadium outfit to safety last term with a late surge up the Premier League table.

Off-field issues eventually cost Pearson his job and Leicester have cast the net far and wide in search for his successor, with the likes of Guus Hiddink, Peter Schmeichel and Neil Lennon linked with the position.

The Foxes were also believed to have considered appointing former boss Martin O’Neill but eventually went for the experienced Ranieri, who has been out of work since being sacked as head coach of Greece in November.

The 63-year-old returns to management in England 11 years after being replaced as Chelsea boss by Jose Mourinho, Ranieri going on to manage Valencia, Inter Milan, Juventus, Roma and Monaco since his last position in the Premier League.

Leicester hope Ranieri will take the club to the next level after surviving on their first season back in the Premier League and the Italian is excited to get back to work after meeting the players during at their training camp in Austria.

“I’m so glad to be here in a club with such a great tradition as Leicester City,” said Ranieri.

“I’ve worked at many great clubs in many top leagues but since I left Chelsea I have dreamt of another chance to work in the best league in the world again.

“I wish to thank the owner, his son and all the executives of the club for the opportunity they are giving me. Now I’ve only one way for returning their trust: squeeze all my energies to getting the best results for the team.”