STOKE, England (AP) — Stoke has hired Paul Lambert to try to keep the team in the Premier League.
The Scottish coach has been out of work since leaving second-tier club Wolverhampton Wanderers in May.
Stoke, which is three points off the bottom of the Premier League standings, had also been pursing Ireland coach Martin O'Neill and Espanyol coach Quique Sanchez Flores for the vacancy opened up by the firing of Mark Hughes last month.
Lambert has signed a 2½-year contract.
Stoke chairman Peter Coates says "Paul greatly impressed us with his knowledge of our squad and had a clear plan of how he would improve our results."
The former Borussia Dortmund and Celtic player has previously managed in the English top-flight at Norwich and Aston Villa.
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