Stoke City have turned to Paul Lambert to fill their vacant managerial post following the dismissal of former manager Mark Hughes.

Lambert, 48, has penned a two-and-half year deal and is expected to officially take charge of the club on Tuesday.

The Scot is not expected to be on the sidelines for the Potters’ Premier League visit to Manchester United on Monday night.

Stoke City are presently in the relegation zone (18th) after amassing just 20 points from 21 league games.

On the appointment of Paul Lambert, Stoke City chairman Peter Coates said: “Paul greatly impressed us with his knowledge of our squad and had a clear plan of how he would improve our results.”

“He’s a man who backed himself as a player, none more so than when he turned down contract offers in Scotland to go on trial in the German Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund, and it’s obvious he adopts the same approach as a manager.” he concluded.

John Coates added: “Paul has been successful in management at clubs with a strong and stable background and with local ownership – the kind of foundation we are able to give to our managers.

“We were determined to appoint someone with Premier League experience or an extensive knowledge of English football. We look forward to working with Paul and supporting him to help achieve our goals.” he concluded.

Paul Lambert has previously managed at clubs like Aston Villa, Norwich City and Wolverhampton Wanderers.