Manchester United managerial target Antonio Conte has been appointed as Tottenham Hotspur boss following the dismissal of Nuno Espirito Santo on Monday morning.

Conte, who met his new squad for the first time on Tuesday morning, returns to English football three years on from a stint at Chelsea that delivered top-flight title glory and an FA Cup triumph.

Speaking after his appointment as Tottenham Hotspur boss, Conte said: “I am extremely happy to return to coaching, and to do so at a Premier League club that has the ambition to be a protagonist again.

“Tottenham Hotspur has state-of-the-art facilities and one of the best stadiums in the world. I can’t wait to start working to convey to the team and the fans the passion, mentality and determination that have always distinguished me, as a player and as a coach.

“Last summer our union did not happen because the end of my relationship with Inter was still too recent and emotionally too involved with the end of the season, so I felt that it wasn’t yet the right time to return to coaching.

“But the contagious enthusiasm and determination of Daniel Levy in wanting to entrust me with this task had already hit the mark. Now that the opportunity has returned, I have chosen to take it with great conviction.”