Tim Sherwood has left his position as Tottenham Hotspur's head coach after the club activated a break clause in his contract.

The 45-year-old St Albans-born boss was appointed as Andre Villas-Boas' successor on December 16, overseeing just 28 first team matches at the club.

Sherwood, who stepped up from the role of head of football development, boasts the best win percentage of any Spurs manager in Premier League history with 59 per cent.

Chairman Daniel Levy commented on the club's website: "We appointed Tim mid-season as someone who knew both the players and the club.

"We agreed an 18-month contract with a break clause at the end of the season and we have now exercised that option," revealed Levy.

Sherwood had come under increasing scrutiny in his six months in charge at White Hart Lane, failing to build on a strong start to his first managerial job and ultimately missing out on Champions League football.

A number of outbursts in the press and on the touchline hardly strengthened Sherwood's cause, culminating in the decision to invite a fan into the dugout and hand over his infamous gilet with a minute of Sunday's match against Aston Villa remaining.

Levy continued: "Moving forward, now the season is over, we shall embark on the process of finding a new head coach. We have a talented squad and exciting young players coming through. We need to build on this season, develop our potential and inspire the kind of performances that we associate with our great club."

Brought to White Hart Lane by Harry Redknapp in 2008, Sherwood was initially an assistant to Redknapp before taking on the role of technical co-ordinator in 2010 eventually becoming head of football development two years later.

Sherwood is immediately favourite for the vacant head coach role at Championship outfit Brighton and Hove Albion, with Southampton boss Mauricio Pochettino the bookmakers' favourite to succeed the former Norwich City and Watford midfielder.