Roberto Di Matteo appointed as new Villa manager

Aston Villa finally have a new manager, as Roberto Di Matteo has been appointed.

There has been speculation for months as to who the next Aston Villa manager might be, but the BBC have this afternoon confirmed the news.

The club itself hasn't released a statement, but it appears as though that will follow imminently.

Former West Brom and Reading manager Steve Clarke joins Di Matteo as the club's assistant manager, both having played together at Chelsea from 1996-98. Bringing Clarke on board makes up for Di Matteo's lack of Championship experience, given his experience in charge of Reading. Having two experienced managers at the helm is a definite plus for the club, especially considering that the last two managers (Tim Sherwood and Remi Garde) were relatively inexperienced.

Aston Villa have been without a permanent manager since Remi Garde's sacking back in March, and the appointment of a new manager has been delayed by the club's relegation and board takeover. But with Dr. Xia's ownership set to be confirmed soon, the decision to appoint Di Matteo was made. This came at the end of a lengthy search, during which both David Moyes and Nigel Pearson spent time as the bookies favourites for the job.

Aston Villa have a new manager (and equally as capable assistant manager), a new owner to shortly follow. Dare I say it, things are finally looking up for the club.