Dean Smith insists Leicester can ‘bounce back’ after they were relegated from the Premier League

Dean Smith backed ‘elite club’ Leicester to make an instant return to the Premier League after they slumped to relegation just seven years after winning the title.

The Foxes will play in the Championship next season after Everton’s 1-0 win over Bournemouth meant Leicester’s 2-1 victory against West Ham counted for nothing.

Smith said he would ‘commiserate’ in the days ahead with Leicester chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, who will conduct a review of this shambolic season. That will likely include a decision on whether to offer interim boss Smith the job full-time.

‘The raw materials this club has are of an elite club,’ he said. ‘It feels raw now and it hurts and everybody will be devastated but with the infrastructure Leicester have they can bounce back.

Dean Smith has insisted Leicester are an ‘elite club’ who ‘can bounce back’ after their relegation from the Premier League

The Foxes finished 18th this season despite beating West Ham on the final day

The win was not enough to keep Leicester up after Abdoulaye Doucoure’s winner took Everton to a 1-0 win over Bournemouth

‘There has been plenty of times where you have knocks and your job is to bounce back and make sure you improve on the things that let you down. I have no doubt the club will.

‘I think it has to (reset). Any club that gets relegated, they have to find a way to bounce back. From what I have seen with the infrastructure I see no reason why Leicester can’t.

‘I will speak to Top, who I have an awful lot of respect for, over the next couple of days and commiserate with him because the time and effort he puts into this football club is there for all to see. 

‘I am certainly not thinking about my future at the moment.’