• 63-year-old former Liverpool manager joins on three-year deal
• Patrice Bergues to team up with Frenchman as his assistant

Aston Villa confirmed tonight that Gérard Houllier has been appointed as their new manager, bringing to an end their protracted search for a replacement for Martin O’Neill. Houllier has agreed a three-year contract and is expected to bring in Patrice Bergues, who worked alongside him at Liverpool and Lyon, as his assistant manager.

Houllier, who held talks with the French Football Federation earlier in the day to discuss his decision to step down from his role as technical director, said he is excited about the challenge of managing Villa.

“I am very happy and proud to join this great and historic club,” Houllier said. “It was a very difficult decision for me to leave the FFF but I could not turn down the opportunity to manage a club whose approach, both on and off the pitch, I have long admired. Aston Villa is one of England’s biggest clubs and has an amazing set of fans. This is a tremendous challenge and one I am very much looking forward to taking on.”

Houllier arrives at Villa Park with a decorated CV. The 63-year-old has managed Lens, Paris St-Germain and Lyon and won three French championships. He also spent six years in charge of Liverpool, between 1998 and 2004, and won the League Cup, FA Cup and Uefa Cup in 2001. Houllier had two spells as the technical director of French football and was regarded as a key figure behind France’s World Cup triumph in 1998.

Villa believe that wealth of experience will help them to continue to progress after securing three successive top-six finishes under O’Neill. “Two of the key qualities in our search for the new manager were experience of managing in the Premier League and a strategy for building on the existing strengths in our current squad, and Gérard Houllier comfortably satisfies these criteria,” said Paul Faulkner, Villa’s chief executive. “In fact, he stands out as a football man who understands the ethos of our club and shares our core values.

“We look forward to working with Gérard and supporting him and we ask our supporters to get behind the new manager and the team as we look to build on the progress we have made over the past four years in all areas of the club.”

It remains unclear at this stage whether there will be a role for Kevin MacDonald in the new set up. The 49-year-old took over on a caretaker basis when O’Neill quit five days before the start of the season and was interviewed for the manager’s job this month after eventually expressing a wish to be considered for the position. He was previously employed as the reserve team manager at Villa.

Aston VillaStuart Jamesguardian.co.uk

• Former Liverpool manager may work with MacDonald
• Owner Randy Lerner keen to appoint O’Neill’s successor

Aston Villa hope to appoint Gérard Houllier as the successor to Martin O’Neill in the next 48 hours. The former Liverpool manager is spending the weekend deciding whether to return to the Premier League after a six-year absence.

Villa’s American owner, Randy Lerner, is keen to make an appointment sooner rather than later. Houllier was interviewed last week – along with the caretaker manager, the reserve team coach Kevin MacDonald, and the former West Ham United manager Alan Curbishley.

The indications are that Houllier would not be against joining Villa in a traditional managerial role. However, MacDonald’s coaching skills are highly rated by Lerner and the Villa players and he could be given a role with the first team.

Houllier gave little away on his future after attending the Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher’s testimonial at Anfield yesterday. He is currently France’s technical director but he has come under fire after a disappointing World Cup.

Questions have been raised over Houllier’s health, given the heart problems from which he suffered at Liverpool. He has apparently assured Villa they would have no cause for concern.

Houllier, who turned 63 last week, left Anfield in 2004 and has been his country’s technical director since leaving Lyon in 2007. He led Liverpool to a Uefa Cup, FA Cup and League Cup treble in 2001.

Aston Villaguardian.co.uk

• Former Liverpool manager could link up with Kevin MacDonald
• Caretaker would stay on as first-team coach

Gérard Houllier could make a surprise return to football with Aston Villa after it emerged last night that the Frenchman is under serious consideration for a director of football role that would see him work alongside Kevin MacDonald.

Villa have been interviewing candidates for the vacant manager’s position this week, including MacDonald, who has been in charge on a caretaker basis ever since Martin O’Neill resigned five days before the start of the season, but Houllier is now the leading contender. Houllier has not been involved in management since he left Lyon in 2007 but he has extensive knowledge of English football, following the six years he spent in charge of Liverpool, between 1998 and 2004, and is highly respected within the game.

The 62-year-old has, however, suffered heart problems and it seems highly unlikely that Villa would want him to take over as manager and expose him to the considerable pressure that would accompany that position. A much more plausible scenario would see Houllier work in tandem with MacDonald, who is regarded as an excellent coach but has failed to convince that he is management material during the five games he has spent in charge.

Graham Taylor, the former England and Villa manager, suggested such a structure would work well when he recently held talks with Paul Faulkner, the club’s chief executive, to offer advice about O’Neill’s successor. Taylor believes that MacDonald’s skills are on the training ground and Villa appear to have accepted that is the case. MacDonald , who was interviewed by Randy Lerner, Villa’s owner, on Wednesday, has indicated that he would be receptive to working in partnership with a more experienced figure.

There were suggestions last night that Villa would make an appointment today but club officials have indicated a decision is not imminent.

Although Houllier’s time at Anfield will be remembered by many Liverpool supporters for the poor signings that were a feature of the latter years of his reign, he also achieved considerable success, most notably in 2001, when the club won three major trophies. His responsibilities at Villa would be wide-ranging and include setting up a worldwide scouting network to address weaknesses in that area.

Villa’s search for a new manager has already led to Sven-Goran Eriksson and Alan Curbishley being interviewed for the post. Eriksson is not in the running but Curbishley has yet to be ruled out. Houllier, however, is top of the shortlist and has held positive discussions with the Villa hierarchy.

Aston VillaStuart Jamesguardian.co.uk