Soccer

Stoke finally confirm a new manager - it’s Paul Lambert

Quique Sanchez Flores and then Martin O’Neill reportedly turned down approaches

Paul Lambert has been appointed as the new manager of Stoke, the Premier League club have announced. Photograph: Clint Hughes/PA

Mon Jan 15 2018 - 11:52

Stoke have appointed Paul Lambert as their new manager after the Scot signed a two-and-half-year contract to replace sacked Mark Hughes.

The Potters are due to play Manchester United at Old Trafford on Monday evening but the 48-year-old will not officially take charge until Tuesday.

“Paul greatly impressed us with his knowledge of our squad and had a clear plan of how he would improve our results,” said chairman Peter Coates.

"He's a man who backed himself as a player, none more so than when he turned down contract offers in Scotland to go on trial in the German Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund, and it's obvious he adopts the same approach as a manager."

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Stoke sacked Hughes nine days ago, just hours after an embarrassing FA Cup exit at the hands of Sky Bet League Two club Coventry and with the Potters mired in the top-flight relegation zone.

Derby’s Gary Rowett, Espanyol’s Quique Sanchez Flores and Republic of Ireland boss Martin O’Neill were all considered targets but the former signed a new contract last week and over the weekend the other two ruled themselves out of contention.

Lambert, who has previously managed Wolves, Blackburn, Aston Villa and Norwich, emerged as the preferred candidate and the club have acted swiftly to appoint him.

“When the club made a managerial change nine days ago we stated that we were looking to make an appointment as soon as possible, particularly given our position in the league and the overriding priority being retaining our place in the Premier League,” said a Stoke statement.

“The club reviewed a number of people against the criteria set and met with a small number of parties who had expressed an interest in the job.”

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