Nigel Pearson was reportedly left 'astonished' when the Leicester City hierarchy relieved him of his duties earlier today.
The ousted Foxes boss learned of his fate during a telephone call with vice-chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, according to The Mirror.
Pearson, who guided Leicester to seven wins in their last nine league matches to avoid relegation last term, was sacked on Tuesday due to "fundamental differences in perspective" with the club's Thai owners.
The 51-year-old is said to have left the Foxes with a severance package worth around £1m.
The source also claims that Pearson was on the verge of adding more new players to his squad when relations with the board turned sour.