Puel’s appointment comes after the club, where Super Eagles’ trio of Wilfred Ndidi, Kelechi Iheanacho and Ahmed Musa ply their trade, sacked former manager, Craig Shakespeare.
“Leicester City are delighted to announce the appointment of Claude Puel as the Club’s new First Team Manager,” read a statement on the club’s official website.
The 56-year-old former Monaco, Lyon and Southampton boss has put pen to paper on a three-year deal, which runs until the summer of 2020.
Reacting to the deal, Leicester’s vice chairman, Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, says the club was impressed by Puel’s attention to details amongst other things.
“Upon meeting Claude, his attention to detail, knowledge of our squad, understanding of our potential and his vision to help us realise it were extremely impressive,” said Srivaddhanaprabha.
“He quickly emerged as the outstanding candidate and I am delighted we will have the opportunity to reinforce our long-term vision, aided significantly by his expertise,” he added.
For Puel, the opportunity to work with a club that shares similar values with him was too strong to ignore.
“It’s a great privilege to become the new manager of Leicester City – a club whose values and ambitions are closely aligned to my own. The opportunity to help the Club build on its remarkable recent achievements is a truly exciting one and I’m looking forward to working with the owners, players, staff and supporters to deliver further lasting success.”
Prior to his Leicester deal, Puel had been without a job since he was sacked in June by another premier league side, Southampton, where he spent just a season.
Puel will be formally introduced on Friday to the media ahead of Everton’s visit on Sunday, and will be assisted by Michael Appleton, who retains his position as assistant manager.
For the Nigerian players at the club, especially the duo of Iheanacho and Musa, they’d be hoping for a change in fortune following ta confirmation of a new manager.
Both players have found game time difficult to come by, and Puel’s appointment accords them fresh opportunities to impress.
