Stoke City appoint Paul Lambert as manager

Stoke City have confirmed Paul Lambert as the club's new manager.

The 48-year-old has signed a two-and-half-year contract and will officially take charge at the bet365 Stadium on Tuesday (16 January).

It comes after former manager Mark Hughes was sacked after the Premier League club's shock FA Cup defeat at the hands of Midlands rivals Coventry City.

Paul, former Aston Villa manager has been successful in management at clubs with a strong and stable background and with local ownership – the kind of foundation we are able to give to our managers.

"We were determined to appoint someone with Premier League experience or an extensive knowledge of English football. We look forward to working with Paul and supporting him to help achieve our goals," said Stoke City vice-chairman, John Coates.

Lambert launched his managerial career north of the border with Livingston before joining Wycombe Wanderers in 2006. After a spell with Colchester, he recorded back-to-back promotions with Norwich to the Premier League.

However, arguably his greatest managerial achievement was keeping Aston Villa in the Premier League against all expectations in difficult circumstances. He has subsequently worked for Blackburn and more recently Wolves.

As a player, Lambert hit the heights of European football with Dortmund with whom he won the Champions League in 1997. A midfielder, he also served Celtic with distinction, helping them win four Scottish titles, and was capped 40 times by his country.

Lambert will watch from the stands at Old Trafford tonight as the Potters face Manchester United with Eddie Niedzwiecki taking charge of team affairs, assisted by Kevin Russell and Andy Quy.