Former Netherlands manager Dick Advocaat has been named the manager of Sunderland until the end of the season.
Advocaat was given the position after the sacking of Gus Poyet and dived straight into the job by taking his first training session at the Academy of Light this morning.
Sunderland chairman Ellis Short said: "We have one aim only now - to climb the table - and everyone is fully focused on the task ahead of us.”
Poyet was sacked after 18 months in charge, pressure was on the Uruguayan after the embarrassing 4-0 defeat at home to Aston Villa left them one point the relegation zone and with just one victory in the last 12league games.
Advocaat said: “I can’t wait to get started,
“Sunderland is a big club and I am very much looking forward to the challenge ahead.”
The 67-year-old hasn’t wasted anytime bringing in his own backroom staff with Zelijko Petrovic becoming his first-team coach and former Swansea and England Under-20 goalkeeping coach Adrian Tucker joining the team.
He hasn’t managed in the Premier League
but he has a good amount of trophies and experience under his belt winning league titles with; Rangers, PSV and Zenit St Petersburg. He led the latter club to an unexpected UEFA Cup victory in 2008 against former club Rangers and the UEFA Super Cup against Manchester United the next season.
He has also managed on a national front with his native Netherlands on two occasions aswell as; United Arab Emirates, South Korea, Belgium, Russia and Serbia.
Ellis added: “Dick has an incredible CV and vast experience of managing at the very highest level.”
Advocaat who is now the oldest manager in the top flight will start his reign with the black cats against West Ham on Saturday.