Pearce named new City manager

Stuart Pearce has been confirmed as the new manager of Manchester City on a two-year contract.

The announcement was widely anticipated after Pearce guided the Blues to the brink of a UEFA Cup place in just two months, since stepping in following the departure of Kevin Keegan.

Chairman John Wardle originally intended to delay naming Keegan’s successor until the summer but those plans have had to be changed given the impact Pearce has had on the Eastlands outfit.

The announcement will have the overwhelming backing of the City squad, and the club’s supporters and should guarantee a full house for Sunday’s crucial clash with Middlesbrough.

Victory is almost certain to guarantee European football next season, an unthinkable prospect when the former England skipper took charge.

Martin O’Neill and Iain Dowie were originally linked to the post but four wins from eight games, and a current seven-match unbeaten run, made all talk of alternative choices irrelevant.

And, rather than wait until Sunday, Wardle opted to link the appointment to the unveiling of a mosaic in honour of the most successful manager in the club’s history, Joe Mercer.