Hughes handed City reins
04 Jun 2008 - 12:58:44
Manchester City have named Mark Hughes as their new manager with the former Wales and Blackburn Rovers boss penning a three-year contract at Eastlands.
The 44-year-old replaces Sven-Goran Eriksson who was relieved of his duties on Monday following just one season in City's hot-seat.
Executive chairman Garry Cook told City's official website: "I'm delighted to welcome Mark on board. In our view he's the brightest young manager in the game and he was our number one target for the manager's job.
"He made it clear to us from the moment we met that he shared our vision and ambition to make Manchester City one of the top sides in the country.
"The club intends to invest in new players as well as securing the long-term services of key members of the current first-team squad.
"Mark's already identified some of the players and backroom staff that he wants to see here at City, and we'll begin the process of recruiting them immediately."
City's owner, Thaksin Shinawatra, believes Hughes will be an "outstanding manager", adding: "These are exciting times for Manchester City and I hope the supporters can understand that I share their goals.
"That sometimes means making ruthless decisions. Now we can go forward to a new era, with a new management structure and great hope and ambition."
Hughes, who had also been linked with the managerial vacancy at Chelsea, had been in charge at Ewood Park since September 2004.
Rovers finished seventh in the campaign just ended, 12 months after the former Wales boss guided them to a tenth-placed finish in the Premier League.
In his first full season in charge, 2005-06, Hughes lifted Rovers to a top-six finish, after steering them clear of the relegation zone in the previous year.