Former Liverpool manager Gérard Houllier confirmed as Martin O'Neill's successor at Aston Villa

8 September 2010

The former Liverpool manager, Gérard Houllier, who last worked in English football at Liverpool - with whom he parted company in May 2004 - has this evening been confirmed as the successor to Martin O'Neill at Aston Villa.

Houllier famously led Liverpool to a cup treble in 2000-01, and after leaving Anfield worked as Paul Le Guen's successor at Lyon, and then took a break from the management and has been working with the French Football Federation.

On Villa's official website this evening, the club are highlighting the Frenchman's role as one of the architects of the famous Clairefontaine academy project. "It was a very difficult decision for me to leave the FFF [French Football Federation] but I could not turn down the opportunity to manage a club whose approach, both on and off the pitch, I have long admired," Houllier said.

Stuart James in the Guardian assesses some elements of the challenge ahead, while the popular and well respected VillaBlog says: "All we have to say to this is welcome Mr Houllier and good luck. We all want you to succeed and despite what you might be told, you will have 100% support."

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