Leicester caretaker manager Craig Shakespeare has laughed off claims a players' revolt was behind the shock sacking of Claudio Ranieri.

The Premier League champions stunned the football world on Thursday by dismissing Ranieri just nine months after he led Leicester to an incredible title triumph.

But Shakespeare, who served as Ranieri's assistant, dismissed claims senior players contributed to the decision by complaining about the Italian's methods to Leicester's Thai owners.

"I'm not aware of any senior players going to the owners so that's news to me," he told reporters on Friday.

"From a football point of view I have to tell you that the players are very professional.

"They are very hurt and very frustrated. I've not had one problem with them on the training field. They are very diligent and professional.

"They will be very disappointed, like everybody else, that the manager has lost his job."

Shakespeare revealed he spoke briefly to Ranieri by telephone on Thursday after the news broke and described the Italian as shocked.

He learnt of Ranieri's sacking just 10 minutes before Leicester's statement was made public.

There had been reports that Shakespeare's relationship with the 65-year-old had become strained recently after Ranieri ignored his advice, but the caretaker boss insisted that wasn't the case.

"He seemed fine, a bit shocked as we all were but his tone was no different," Shakespeare said.

"He was very level-headed in terms of 'that's football'.

"Most of the conversation will stay private but his tone was fine.

"We had a conversation, he thanked me for my support, I thanked him.

"It was not a brief phone call, we exchanged views, a lot will remain private but we did thank each other."

Former Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini is the bookmakers' favourite to replace Ranieri.

But Shakespeare, a former West Bromwich Albion midfielder who was appointed at Leicester by former manager Nigel Pearson, refused to rule himself out of the running to succeed Ranieri permanently.

"My focus is really just to prepare the team for Monday night," said Shakespeare, who will take charge for Monday's Premier League game against Liverpool alongside goalkeeping coach Mike Stowell.

"Do I think I can do the job? Yes. Does it faze me? No. But again, the focus is just on Monday night.

"I'm very sad. I think we all know in football these things can happen.

"We have to make sure we remember him. He will go down with the utmost respect from everybody at this club."

Shakespeare pinpointed the loss of key midfielder N'Golo Kante to Chelsea last summer as a key reason for the club's poor title defence.

"There's frustrations with everybody, coaching staff, players and I think there's lots of reasons why," he said.

"It's been spoken about at great length Missing a player of the calibre of N'Golo Kante was a massive miss.

"Of course it's always harder. History tells us that it's always harder the second year, it's always hard to put finger on it."