Former Chelsea star Graeme Le Saux has claimed that the friendly nature of Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri quickly turns ruthless with his players behind the scenes.

The Italian manager has won many hearts with his cheerful nature in press conferences and interviews.

However, Le Saux, who played under Ranieri at Chelsea, insists that the Leicester manager also has another side to him.

"That's all veneer, don't be fooled, that's part design," the former defender said.

"He's a very shrewd operator and he wouldn't shirk a big decision. Behind the smile there's a ruthless football manager, a guy who is happy to make big decisions.

"At Leicester he hasn't had to, the team picks itself. He's not had to deal with dropping big names and moving people on.

"Once he's established his team and his shape, he's been the polar opposite to what we were calling him, the Tinkerman."