Remi Garde appointed Aston Villa manager: Frenchman replaces Tim Sherwood

Former Lyon manager signs contract until the summer of 2019

(GETTY IMAGES)

Aston Villa have announced the appointment of Remi Garde as the club's new manager.

The Frenchman replaces Tim Sherwood, who was sacked last weekend after a dismal start to the season that sees the Midlanders occupy bottom place in the Premier League.

Despite being the club's sixth manager since August 2010, Aston Villa have granted the 49-year-old a contract until the end of the 2018/19 season. Garde, who had a spell at Arsenal during his playing days, managed Lyon from 2011-2014, his only managerial appointment to date. During his time there he won the French Cup before leaving for personal reasons.

It's understood he will simply observe his team for this evening's fixture with Tottenham at White Hart Lane.

Garde told Aston Villa's website: "It is an unbelievable honour to be the manager of such an illustrious football club.

"I've had extremely positive meetings with both the owner, Randy Lerner, and Chief Executive Tom Fox. They have ambitious plans for the Club and I'm excited that they have turned to me to help them realise them.

"Obviously we have a difficult task in front of us but I'm looking forward to the challenge with the support of everyone who loves Aston Villa."

Chairman Randy Lerner added: "Rémi came with ideas, honesty, humour and a steely sense of what it will take for Aston Villa to be what it is meant to be - hard working, tireless, creative and unwilling to concede.

"Nobody at Villa can deny that we are way behind. We recruited aggressively this past summer and it is our responsibility to now harvest this talent rather than buckle under pressure and criticism - we are better than that. On behalf of the Board we wish Rémi every success."

Tom Fox, Aston Villa Chief Executive, said: "For the past year we have been working purposefully to transform the Club in order to build a successful organisation that can compete and succeed in the Premier League.

"Finding a manager who shares and believes in our vision and has the ability to bring it to life through performances on the pitch is essential. We are confident that Rémi is the manager who can deliver the best from the current squad and help set the club up for future success".