Pearce handed Forest reins

Nottingham Forest have confirmed the appointment of Stuart Pearce as their new manager from July 1.Owner and chairman Fawaz Al Hasawi confirmed the appointment via Twitter ahead of a 12.30pm press conference.He wrote: "I am absolutely thrilled to confirm Stuart Pearce will become our manager on 1 July. Welcome home . #nffc"Former Forest favourite Pearce, whose last role was with England's Under-21 side, initially turned down the job following talks last week, citing family reasons.Forest have been looking for a new boss since Al Hasawi dismissed Billy Davies on March 24 following a run of eight matches without a win, culminating in a 5-0 loss to bitter rivals Derby.The Reds currently lie seventh in the Sky Bet Championship, two points adrift of a play-off place with seven games remaining. The 51-year-old Pearce spent 12 years with Forest as a player and admitted on Wednesday that he still had a lot of affection for the club. ''Forest have always been well supported whatever league they've been in, there's a rich history there,'' he said. ''It's a great club and one that's very close to my heart.''Gary Brazil is in temporary charge of first-team affairs at the two-time European champions and looks likely to remain at the helm until the end of the season.

Source: PA