SOCCER: Aston Villa last night unveiled Martin O'Neill as their new manager. His appointment was confirmed by the Villa chairman Doug Ellis, who will be expected to relinquish control of the club in the near future. It is understood O'Neill has sought assurances from Ellis that he will sell his majority shareholding, paving the way for a new era that is likely to see the American billionaire Randy Lerner become the owner next month.

O'Neill had waited on the results of tests regarding his wife Geraldine's health before deciding to return to football. He had taken a 15-month break from the game because of her illness but is now ready to become hands-on again. The former Celtic and Leicester manager will formally meet the players today when he oversees the first match of Villa's nine-day pre-season tour of Germany and the Netherlands. The fixture against Hannover 96 this afternoon will be followed by a meeting with the Dutch side NEC Nijmegen on Tuesday.

He has little time to prepare for the start of the Premiership season, with the first game at Arsenal in two weeks' time. That realisation prompted the Derry man to agree to accept the Villa job before the ownership of the club was resolved. It is believed he felt he could not afford to wait until a takeover deal went through. Villa have made no new signings in the summer and the manager needs time to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the current squad.

He will begin that process today in Hannover where he will be joined by John Robertson and Steve Walford, two familiar members of his backroom staff. Among their first tasks will be establishing which players no longer have a desire to remain at the club. Milan Baros has been the subject of persistent transfer speculation since the end of last season amid reports he is unsettled, and Gareth Barry recently informed the Villa board he wanted to leave.

Kevin Phillips' future is also a matter of conjecture, with his former Sunderland team-mate Niall Quinn keen to take him back to the club where he scored so prolifically before joining Southampton.

O'Neill is unlikely to be fazed by any of those issues, though, and his presence at the club is sure to alter the mindset of several players. He will also be aided by a transfer kitty, to be provided immediately despite the continued uncertainty about Ellis's position at the club.

The octogenarian arrived at Villa Park yesterday afternoon to welcome O'Neill. Ever since David O'Leary parted company with Villa in such acrimonious circumstances little more than two weeks ago, Ellis had earmarked O'Neill as his first choice.

That the Villa chairman has managed to persuade the Irishman to take the position without himself handing over the reins will massage his ego. He will also take satisfaction from the fact that he succeeded where both Newcastle United and Middlesbrough failed.

O'Neill resisted the overtures of both north-east clubs in the summer, primarily because his residence in High Wycombe would have made commuting difficult. There will be no such concerns about travelling to the midlands, where he has spent much of his career as a player and a manager, enjoying considerable success. Villa supporters will now hope he can find the same formula at a club which has spent too long in the doldrums.

"The arrival of Martin O'Neill is a popular move that I am sure will be welcomed by the vast majority of Villa fans, especially if his arrival is a clear signal of the imminent departure of Mr Ellis," said Jonathan Fear, spokesman for Aston Villa Shareholders' Association and Villa Fans Combined.

"We hope that Mr Ellis doesn't now think the fans will be appeased with his 14th managerial appointment and that he can remain in power.

"The consensus is that success will not return to Villa until we have a new board. There can be no better time for Mr Ellis to step aside for a well-financed consortium who now have a top manager in place. Martin O'Neill has taken the reins of a magnificent and mighty club.

"With his ambition he will talk our language and we look forward to him getting the board that is capable of backing him."

Guardian Service