Steve Cooper has been appointed as the new manager of Leicester City on a three-year deal.
In his first job since being sacked by Nottingham Forest in December 2023, Cooper takes over from Enzo Maresca at the King Power Stadium – after the Italian moved to Chelsea.
Cooper was reportedly on a shortlist for the job alongside former Brighton and Chelsea boss Graham Potter and West Brom head coach Carlos Corberan.
With Cooper prevailing as the first choice, the club said: “Leicester City Football Club can today confirm the appointment of Steve Cooper as our new first team manager ahead of the 2024/25 Premier League season.
“Steve, 44, has agreed a three-year contract and arrives at King Power Stadium as the club continues its preparations for our top-flight return, following promotion from the Sky Bet Championship last season.
“A manager of Premier League experience following a successful spell with Nottingham Forest, whom he guided to and established in the top flight between 2021 and 2023, Steve has built an excellent reputation in the game for his qualities as a coach and a leader.”
Cooper himself added: “I am really excited and proud to be appointed Leicester City’s First Team Manager. This is a fantastic club with a rich history and passionate supporters.
“I am excited to work with such a talented squad and I’m looking forward to the challenge of achieving our shared ambitions in the Premier League.”
Cooper’s achievements at Forest were much heralded, having taken over at the City Ground with the club bottom of the Championship in September 2021.
Just eight months later, he led the club out at Wembley in the Championship play-off final, where they beat Huddersfield to secure a place in the Premier League for the first time in 23 years.
Cooper managed to keep them up during their first season back in the top flight, but he was sacked after a run of just one win in 13 matches before Christmas in 2023.
His new role sees him take over a Leicester side who were Championship title winners last season – sealing an instant return to the Premier League.
Cooper will have Leicester’s talisman Jamie Vardy to call upon, after he agreed a new one-year deal, but other senior figures such as Marc Albrighton and Kelechi Iheanacho have left this summer.
Leicester mark their Premier League comeback with a home match against Tottenham in their season opener, before facing Fulham and Aston Villa in the early stages of the new campaign.
