Tim Sherwood expressed his disappointment yesterday after being sacked by Aston Villa at the weekend.

The former Villa boss was axed just eight months after replacing Paul Lambert in February. Sherwood kept Villa up last season and led them to the FA Cup final in May, where they lost 4-0 to Arsenal.

Ex-Lyon boss Remi Garde is the favourite to replace him and Sherwood released a statement via the League Managers’ Association following his departure from Villa Park.

He said: “I am very disappointed that I will not be able to carry on in my role as manager of Aston Villa.

“Obviously, the initial priority was to stay in the Premier League, but beating Liverpool in the FA Cup semi at Wembley and then leading the team out for the final was an achievement and experience that I will treasure for the rest of my career.

“I’d like to thank my coaching staff and the staff throughout the club for their dedication, the Villa fans for their passionate support and the players, who gave everything during my time at the club. I wish the club all the best for the rest of the season and indeed for the future.”