Watford have sacked their manager Marco Silva following the club’s 2-0 defeat against Leicester on Saturday, citing the “unwarranted approach” from Everton last year as “the catalyst” for the decision.

Silva had been a target for Everton when they were seeking a replacement for Ronald Koeman. But after an excellent start at Watford, a run of one win in 11 matches has now cost Silva his job.

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“This has been a difficult decision and one not taken lightly,” read a club statement. “The club is convinced the appointment of Silva was the right one and had it not been for the unwarranted approach by a Premier League rival for his services we would have continued to prosper under his leadership.

“The catalyst for this decision is that unwarranted approach, something which the board believes has seen a significant deterioration in both focus and results to the point where the long-term future of Watford has been jeopardised. For the security and success of the football club, the board believes it has to make a change.”

Watford are aiming to make a swift appointment to replace Silva who, on Saturday night, believed his position was safe. “My job is to work hard, together with my players, to improve,” he said after the Leicester defeat. “The board know my opinion about everything. It’s not the best moment but the Premier League is 38 games, not only the last 10.”