David O'Leary has replaced Graham Taylor as manager of Aston Villa it was announced tonight. The Dubliner has signed a three-year contract with the Birmingham club.
O'Leary, whose was sacked from the Leeds job last June, succeeds former England boss Taylor at Villa Park.
Taylor resigned last Wednesday and Villa have handed 45-year-old O'Leary a chance to kickstart his managerial career.
The speed with which Villa have replaced Taylor will have taken many people by surprise.
O'Leary was one of a number of names who had been linked with the vacant post, the others including George Burley, Alan Curbishley, Micky Adams and David Platt.
But Villa chairman 'Deadly' Doug Ellis has moved swiftly to install O'Leary, who becomes Villa's 10th manager in 20 years.
Villa finished fifth-from-bottom in the Barclaycard Premiership after a disappointing season, with newly-promoted rivals Birmingham finishing above them.
But O'Leary, who spent very heavily during his reign at Leeds, will have to do more wheeling and dealing at Villa under prudent Ellis.
O'Leary splashed out close on £100million in the transfer market as Leeds pursued Champions League riches.
He succeeded in steering Leeds to a Champions League semi-final against Valencia two years ago, but failure to qualify for Europe's top competition for two seasons running. He also courted controversy with a book, Leeds United on Trialin the wake of the lengthy court trials involving then Leeds players Jonathan Woodgate and Lee Bowyer.
O'Leary, who eventually agreed a settlement with Leeds, subsequently went public with his hope that he might one day return as Leeds manager. But he has now grasped the chance to manage a top-flight club which has underachieved in recent years.
Villa fans will be hoping that O'Leary, who successfully brought on young players like Jonathan Woodgate, Alan Smith and Paul Robinson, can do the same with a promising crop of youngsters at Villa Park.