Dean Smith says Premier League survival with Leicester City is ‘achievable’

Following his appointment as the team’s manager until the end of the 2022/23 season, Dean Smith says it is possible for Leicester City to escape relegation.

Following his dismissal from Norwich City earlier this season, the former Aston Villa man had not been on the touchlines but now has an opportunity to be back in the game after being given a short-term contract at the King Power Stadium.

He comes in as a replacement for Brendan Rodgers who was shown the exit recently after a poor run of form in the Premier League.

Leicester find themselves second-bottom and in real danger of being relegated to the Championship after losing their first two games since the sacking of Rodgers.

The Foxes turned to Smith after a deal for former Leeds boss Jesse Marsch fell through over the weekend, and he will be assisted by Craig Shakespeare and John Terry.

“I’m really happy to have the opportunity to lead the team during these final weeks of the season,” he said following his appointment.

“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.

“If it was something that I thought was unsurmountable, I wouldn’t have come – and Shakey and JT wouldn’t have come also.

“We’re looking forward to the challenge, but we know it’s going to be tough.

“We’ll be putting demands on the players and on ourselves. We’ll be spending every minute of every day making sure we work hard to keep this football club in the Premier League.”

Smith will oversee the final eight games of the Premier League campaign following the sacking of Rodgers last week.