Watford have appointed Claudio Ranieri as manager on a two-year contract.

The Italian returns to the Premier League, which he famously won with Leicester in 2015-16, having left Serie A side Sampdoria in the summer.

The Hornets sacked Xisco Munoz on Sunday, the 14th managerial change under the club's owners, the Pozzo family, since they took over in 2012.

Ranieri is charged with improving their league form as they sit 15th after taking seven points from seven games.

His first match in charge will be at home against Liverpool on Saturday, 16 October.

Ranieri has a wealth of experience with Watford being his 21st club in a 35-year managerial career. In addition to the league title with Leicester, he won the 1995-96 Coppa Italia with Fiorentina and 1998-99 Copa del Rey with Valencia.

He is familiar with the English top flight through Chelsea, Leicester and Fulham.

Ranieri is held in high regard at Leicester but was sacked with the Foxes just one point above the relegation zone with 13 matches left in the 2016-17 season.

After Leicester he took a season away from the Premier League, in Nantes, before returning to take charge of Fulham in 2018. He only lasted 106 days as the Cottagers sacked him with the club facing relegation.

He now returns to the league in the first managerial change in the English top flight this season.

Munoz's departure came 10 months after he joined Watford and having led them to promotion from the Championship last season.

The Spaniard left his position after the club's 1-0 defeat by Leeds on Saturday.