Leicester City have announced that their former manager, Craig Shakespeare, is undergoing treatment after being diagnosed with cancer. The 59-year-old, who also had three different spells as assistant manager with the club, departed earlier this year alongside Dean Smith following Leicester’s relegation to the Championship “Former Leicester City manager Craig Shakespeare has revealed that he has recently been diagnosed with cancer and is currently receiving treatment,” a club statement said. “Craig is very grateful for the kind well-wishes he has been receiving and for the privacy that he and his family have been shown during this challenging time.” The Leicester chief executive, Susan Whelan, said: “Everyone at the club sends their strength and support to Craig, his wife Karen and their children, Elle and Jed. “They will all be in our thoughts and prayers as Craig progresses with his treatment, surrounded by the love befitting his place in the hearts of the Leicester City family and the wider game.” A midfielder with Walsall, West Brom and Grimsby during his playing days, Shakespeare twice worked as assistant to Nigel Pearson at Leicester and retained the role under Claudio Ranieri as the Foxes won the Premier League title in 2016. Shakespeare was placed in temporary charge when Ranieri was sacked in 2017, winning his first four Premier League games and helping Leicester reach the Champions League quarter-finals. He was made permanent manager in June but was dismissed in October after a poor start to the 2017-18 season. After spells as a coach at Everton, Watford and Aston Villa, Shakespeare returned to Leicester as Smith’s assistant earlier this year. He was briefly part of the England coaching setup under Sam Allardyce. “We’re with you, Craig,” read a message on X, formerly Twitter, from the England team’s official account.