Sacked Everton manager Ronald Koeman is disappointed to have lost his job but was grateful for the chance to take charge of a "great club".
The Dutchman was relieved of his duties on Monday after the 5-2 home defeat to Arsenal dropped the club into the Premier League’s bottom three and made it just two wins in 13 matches.
Under-23s boss David Unsworth has been placed in temporary charge and will lead the side in their Carbao Cup tie at Chelsea on Wednesday.
“I would like to place on record my thanks to the players and staff for all their work and commitment during my 16 months as Everton manager,” Koeman wrote on Twitter.
"I would like to thank (chairman) Bill Kenwright, (major shareholder) Farhad Moshiri and the Everton Board for the opportunity to have managed a great club, and to the fans as well for their passionate support for the club.
“Naturally I am disappointed at this moment but I wish the team good luck in the future.”
Unsworth, a former Everton defender, who also stepped into the breach when Roberto Martinez was fired in May 2016, will face the media at a press conference at the club's Finch Farm training complex on Tuesday afternoon.
His reputation has grown over the last year after guiding the under-23s to the Premier League 2 title last season and looks set to be in charge for the foreseeable future.
The 44-year-old, who had two spells as a player at Goodison from 1992-97 and 1998-2004 making 350 appearances and scoring 40 goals, is likely to remain in place for the Premier League visits to Leicester and Watford — either side of the Europa League trip to Lyon — before the international break.
Unsworth's previous one match in charge on the final day of the 2015-16 season saw him oversee a 3-0 win over Norwich, notable for handing academy graduate and now first-team regular Tom Davies his first Premier League start and giving Jonjoe Kenny a senior debut off the bench.
He and assistant John Ebbrell had been expecting to be in dugout for the u23s' Checkatrade Trophy clash at Lincoln on Tuesday evening but have been given the task of taking the reins following Koeman's departure.
“Everton Football Club can confirm that David Unsworth will take temporary charge of the Everton first team, commencing with tomorrow night’s Carabao Cup tie at Stamford Bridge,” read an Everton statement.
