Calleja, who played for Villarreal from 1999-2006, has coached at the club for six years at youth level, taking over Villarreal B at the start of this season.
“Villarreal and Javi Calleja have reached a deal which sees him become the first-team coach of the ‘Yellow’ side for the 2017-18 season,” the club said in a statement.
Escriba was dismissed with Villarreal 14th in the La Liga standings after six games in which they suffered three defeats, including a humiliating 4-0 beating by promoted Getafe on Sunday.
The former Getafe coach had renewed his contract in May to the end of this season after being appointed in August 2016.
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Villarreal were promoted to Spain’s top flight in 1998 and 10 years later finished runners-up to Real Madrid in their best league campaign.
The team nicknamed “Yellow Submarine” suffered a shock relegation in 2012 but were immediately promoted the following year and have played in the Europa League each season since.
(Reporting by Rik Sharma, editing by Ed Osmond)
