Former West Brom midfielder Enzo Maresca appointed new Leicester City boss
Former West Brom midfielder Enzo Maresca has been appointed Leicester City's new manager on a three-year deal.
The 43-year-old Italian, who spent two years as a player at The Hawthorns in the late 1990s, joins the Foxes having served as a first team coach for Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, helping the squad to an historic treble.
Maresca, who also coached at West Ham United under Manuel Pelligrini, previously spent time as Parma boss and has been linked with a managerial move to Albion in recent years.
He will now lead Leicester as they look to return to the Premier League at the first time of asking.
Following his announcement as the club's new boss, Maresca said: "I’m very excited because of the club I’m joining and because we have a big season ahead of us.
“At the beginning, the target is to play in the best way we can. From there, we can build, day by day, our idea and our philosophy, and the most important thing is to try to win games.
“First of all, we’re going to give 100 per cent, absolutely, because the Club deserves this. It’s our job, our duty to do that. Then, as I said, day by day, step by step, absolutely we’re going to improve.”
When the unknown Italian Enzo Maresca lit up a gloomy Hawthorns
Maresca's first taste of English football came back in 1998, when Albion brought the Italian teenager to the club, alongside Mario Bortolazzi.
The wide man spent two years at the club, making 47 appearances and lighting up The Hawthorns in the process with his dazzling displays.
In 2000, Juventus paid Albion a club record £4.3m to take the winger back to Italy, and he would go on to win a number of trophies in both his homeland and Spain.
Maresca has now been handed his first managerial role in England after a successful period at Manchester City, and replaces former Aston Villa boss Dean Smith who left the club following relegation from the Premier League.
