FORMER Colchester United manager Paul Lambert has been appointed as the new Stoke City boss, signing a two-and-half-year contract to replace Mark Hughes.

The Potters are due to play Manchester United at Old Trafford tonight but the 48-year-old Scot will not officially take charge until tomorrow.

"Paul greatly impressed us with his knowledge of our squad and had a clear plan of how he would improve our results," said chairman Peter Coates.

"He's a man who backed himself as a player, none more so than when he turned down contract offers in Scotland to go on trial in the German Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund, and it's obvious he adopts the same approach as a manager."

Stoke sacked Hughes nine days ago, just hours after an embarrassing FA Cup exit at the hands of Sky Bet League Two club Coventry and with the Potters mired in the top-flight relegation zone.

Derby's Gary Rowett, Espanyol's Quique Sanchez Flores and Republic of Ireland boss Martin O'Neill were all considered targets but the former signed a new contract last week and over the weekend the other two ruled themselves out of contention.

Lambert took over as Colchester boss in October 2008, succeeding Geraint Williams.

Despite occasionally threatening to flirt with the League One play-offs, the U's eventually finished mid-table in his first season.

He began the 2009–10 campaign with an opening day 7–1 win over Norwich City before leaving for the Canaries less than a year after taking over at the Weston Homes Community Stadium.

He has also managed Wolves, Blackburn and Aston Villa.