STEVE McCLARENMeanwhile, former England manager Steve McClaren is returning to Derby County for a second spell in charge just 17 months after they sacked him.
The Championship club said in a statement on Wednesday that the 55-year-old, whose previous managerial stint at the Rams was between September 2013 and May 2015, had signed a contract to the end of the 2017/18 season.
Caretaker manager Chris Powell will stay on as assistant, along with other backroom staff.
Derby, currently 20th in the 24-team second tier, parted company with Nigel Pearson last weekend after the former Leicester City manager had been in the job for four months.
Club president Sam Rush said McCLaren had helped transform Derby last time around and had always been a prime candidate as "the architect of our style of football".
McClaren, who was England manager for 16 months from 2006-07 and left Derby under a cloud after being constantly linked with the manager's job at Newcastle United, said he was looking forward to the task ahead.
"I regret how my time at Derby ended back in 2015 and I am very motivated to put things right for the club and our supporters," said the manager, who joined Newcastle after leaving Derby but was then sacked by them last March.
"My ultimate aspiration remains exactly what it was before, to take Derby County back to the Premier League."Aston Villa have appointed Steve Bruce as manager, replacing Roberto Di Matteo who was sacked last week, the Championship club said on Wednesday.
The 55-year-old Bruce, who had a successful spell at Villa's local rivals Birmingham City, has been without a club since he quit as manager of Hull City in July after leading the team to Premier League promotion with a playoff victory over Sheffield Wednesday.
"It’s a wonderful opportunity. It is one of the big clubs of this country. To be given the opportunity to manage it is terrific," Bruce told the club website (www.avfc.co.uk).
Villa appointed Di Matteo in June after their relegation from the Premier League, but sacked the Italian after just 124 days in charge.
The Midlands club are currently 19th in the 24-team Championship table with 10 points from 11 games.
Bruce added: "I relish the challenge of trying to take the club where it wants to go and needs to be - and try to turn around the misfortune we seem to have had over the past few years.
"I am absolutely delighted to have been given the chance. I hope I can do my stuff."
Villa owner Tony Xia added: "With his track record, not only at leading teams to promotion from the (second-tier) Championship, but also vast experience in the Premier League, I believe we have secured the services of an excellent manager."
Chief Executive Keith Wyness told the club website: “In the recent transfer window we focused on character, personality and experience.
"These three words can be applied in spades to Steve Bruce and I look forward to working closely with him as we turn the club around and get us back to where we all want to be.”
STEVE McCLARENMeanwhile, former England manager Steve McClaren is returning to Derby County for a second spell in charge just 17 months after they sacked him.
The Championship club said in a statement on Wednesday that the 55-year-old, whose previous managerial stint at the Rams was between September 2013 and May 2015, had signed a contract to the end of the 2017/18 season.
Caretaker manager Chris Powell will stay on as assistant, along with other backroom staff.
Derby, currently 20th in the 24-team second tier, parted company with Nigel Pearson last weekend after the former Leicester City manager had been in the job for four months.
Club president Sam Rush said McCLaren had helped transform Derby last time around and had always been a prime candidate as "the architect of our style of football".
McClaren, who was England manager for 16 months from 2006-07 and left Derby under a cloud after being constantly linked with the manager's job at Newcastle United, said he was looking forward to the task ahead.
"I regret how my time at Derby ended back in 2015 and I am very motivated to put things right for the club and our supporters," said the manager, who joined Newcastle after leaving Derby but was then sacked by them last March.
"My ultimate aspiration remains exactly what it was before, to take Derby County back to the Premier League."
STEVE McCLARENMeanwhile, former England manager Steve McClaren is returning to Derby County for a second spell in charge just 17 months after they sacked him.
The Championship club said in a statement on Wednesday that the 55-year-old, whose previous managerial stint at the Rams was between September 2013 and May 2015, had signed a contract to the end of the 2017/18 season.
Caretaker manager Chris Powell will stay on as assistant, along with other backroom staff.
Derby, currently 20th in the 24-team second tier, parted company with Nigel Pearson last weekend after the former Leicester City manager had been in the job for four months.
Club president Sam Rush said McCLaren had helped transform Derby last time around and had always been a prime candidate as "the architect of our style of football".
McClaren, who was England manager for 16 months from 2006-07 and left Derby under a cloud after being constantly linked with the manager's job at Newcastle United, said he was looking forward to the task ahead.
"I regret how my time at Derby ended back in 2015 and I am very motivated to put things right for the club and our supporters," said the manager, who joined Newcastle after leaving Derby but was then sacked by them last March.
"My ultimate aspiration remains exactly what it was before, to take Derby County back to the Premier League."