Villa appoint McLeish

Former Birmingham City boss Alex McLeish is the new manager of Midlands rivals Aston Villa, the club confirmed on Friday.

McLeish, whose abrupt exit from Birmingham has been dogged by claims of ‘tapping up’, threats of injunction and a demand for compensation, will start immediately.

Villa have not confirmed the length of McLeish’s contract nor have they commented on reports of a deal to pay Birmingham two million pounds in compensation.

“I am honoured to have this opportunity to manage a club with such a fantastic history as Aston Villa’s,” McLeish told the club’s official website.

“The heritage, the history of success and the tradition of Aston Villa are compelling and irresistible. The challenge for me is to try to add my own chapter.”

“Since first becoming a manager at Motherwell, my desire to succeed and my energy and drive have never waned.”

“My objective is to impart that drive and will to win to the players and fans of Aston Villa.”

“I know that some of our fans have voiced concerns and I can understand why.”

“It will be up to me to convince you that I am the right man to drive the club forward and I intend to give absolutely everything to prove that I can be a success at the club.”

Villa fans have been vocal in their disapproval of McLeish’s impending appointment given the Scot twice led their bitter rivals to relegation in the past five years.

But Villa executive Paul Faulkner said the club was unmoved by the depth of ill-feeling towards McLeish.

“We believe we have appointed the right man for the job,” Faulkner said.

“Unquestionably, Alex meets the criteria we set out at the beginning of our search which was based on proven Premier League experience, leadership, a hard-working ethic and, most importantly, a shared vision for Aston Villa.”

“Alex is someone with whom we will work closely and work well together.”

“With our strong squad combining the necessary virtues of experience and the exciting potential of our young players, our objective is to compete as strongly as we possibly can.”

“Alex’s vast experience and proven abilities demonstrate clearly that he is a strong leader and an ambitious man and we are looking forward very much to the exciting new season about to start.”

McLeish will be Villa’s third manager in nine months following the resignation of Martin O’Neill and the sudden departure of Gerard Houllier due to health concerns.

He gets his first chance to win over fans with a trip to Craven Cottage to face Fulham on August 13, the opening day of the 2011/12 Premier League season.