The former Norwich City, Aston Villa and Brentford manager will take charge of First Team training from Tuesday in preparation for Saturday’s Premier League trip to Manchester City.
Smith brings a wealth of managerial experience and expertise to the role and, along with his coaching team, will be tasked with helping the Football Club retain its Premier League status as we head into the final eight games of the current season.
Dean’s appointment will see the return of Craig Shakespeare to the Leicester City dugout. An assistant under both Nigel Pearson and Claudio Ranieri in previous spells with the Foxes, Craig himself led the Club in 2017, successfully seeing off the threat of relegation and leading us to a UEFA Champions League Quarter-Final.
Dean’s coaching line-up will also include former England captain John Terry, who served under Dean’s management as a coach at Aston Villa, along with City’s current First Team Coaches Adam Sadler and Mike Stowell.
Dean Smith said: “I’m really happy to have the opportunity to lead the team during these final weeks of the season. The challenge in front of us is clear, but it’s one myself and my coaching team have experienced before and, with the quality in this squad and the number of games remaining, it’s very much achievable.
“Our first job is to rebuild confidence and instil belief in the team and I’m looking forward to getting to work with the players this week. Saturday will be a big test, but it’s the kind of occasion that reminds us all what it means to be a Premier League club, competing on the biggest stages against the best players in the world. I know we’ll be well supported by our travelling fans. We have to connect with that and give them a performance they can be proud of. We go there positive, looking for points.”
Leicester City Chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha said: “On behalf of everyone at Leicester City, I’d like to offer Dean a warm welcome to the Football Club. His leadership, coaching and motivational qualities will be vital assets for us in the coming eight games as we fight to secure our Premier League status.
“We’ve endured a challenging season, but I have no doubt that we have the quality in our squad to win this fight. Dean’s experience will be key to unlocking that potential, helping the team rediscover its confidence and channelling the support of our fans, who will be so important during these final eight games. Their support has been the foundation of everything we’ve achieved in these last 13 years and it will play a vital role once more in this crucial moment in our history. This is a fight we can win, together.
“I ask you to support the team, to fight with them for every goal, to inspire them to create a legacy again for this Club. Every fan, every player, all our staff, we need to be behind the team and our new management team. Together we can find success this season.”
Dean’s reputation as a progressive coach and man manager has been built over a 12-year managerial career in which he has taken charge of nearly 600 games across spells with Walsall, Brentford, Aston Villa and Norwich City. In the Premier League, having guided Villa to promotion during his first season at the club, he led a successful late charge for survival in 2020 in which Villa recovered from being four points from safety with three games to play.
Dean will meet the First Team squad and take training at Seagrave on Tuesday and will be introduced to the media later this week ahead of Saturday’s trip to Etihad Stadium.