England head coach Eddie Jones has said that he 'feels sorry' for Claudio Ranieri after he was sacked just nine months on from guiding Leicester City to an unprecedented Premier League title.

Figures from across the sporting world have been paying tribute to the Italian today in the wake of the Foxes' decision to relieve him of duties with the club teetering above the relegation zone.

"It's a hard job and you can understand why coaches are so insecure, why we are always looking over our shoulder," Jones told reporters this afternoon. "Life's all about short term, it's happened in sport, the same thing. Everyone wants results like that and if you don't get them soon, you know you are going to be saying goodbye.

"I feel sorry for the guy. I must admit, I feel a lot of sympathy for him because things change, teams change. He's probably doing the same job he did last season but it's not good enough this year.

"I said to the guys this morning that Leicester City is a great example of what happens with success and the blame that is there. At the end of the day the responsibility is with the players and staff. We have a joint responsibility to lead the team forward."

Jones's England side are now a record 16 games unbeaten and next face Italy in the Six Nations this Sunday.