Exclusive by Bill Anderson
Leicester City will today name Gary Megson as their new manager with Gerry Taggart as part of his coaching staff.
The 48-year-old former Stoke, West Bromwich Albion and Nottingham Forest boss last night agreed terms with City chairman Milan Mandaric for a contract stretching two years after the end of the current season.
Megson brings with him Frank Burrows as his assistant manager, a role he filled with Megson at Forest, and former City favourite Taggart arrives as first-team coach.
In his first interview shortly after sealing the deal, Megson spoke exclusively to the Mercury and said: “To be able to get this opportunity is fantastic and it is one I aim to grasp with both hands.
“It has taken me longer than I expected to get back into the game but, recently, I have been coaching for my good friend Tony Pulis at Stoke and I realised just how much I had missed the game.”
His playing career centred around Sheffield Wednesday and his major managerial efforts were with West Brom, but Megson appreciates his Nottingham Forest connection, however tenuous, might not go down too well with some City fans.
He said: “I know I am not going to be welcomed with open arms by everyone. I have to prove myself and I hope I can do the same job at Leicester that I did at West Brom.”
What Leicester and Mandaric want as soon as possible is promotion, and it is Megson's record with the Baggies that forms a strong basis for optimism on that front.
Megson said: “We took West Brom from second bottom up into the Premiership.
“Yes ,we went down which was no surprise on an £8million wage bill, when the next lowest was £17million, but I think I am the only manager to take a team straight back up automatically.
“So my record at this level, in terms of promotion, is probably better than anyone else's in the last 10 years.
“Yet I find myself having to defend myself for what went on at Forest.
“Some will look at that and then at what I did at West Brom and form their own opinions, but I don't want to reflect on those things but look forward.
“I am the only manager to take two teams up to the Premiership automatically and I want Leicester to be the third.”
Megson admits he finds it strange that he is viewed so much as “an ex-Forest guy”.
He said: “I am not. I was there for four months as a player, never got a game and moved on. As a manager I was there for 13 months, didn't have a good time, didn't enjoy it at all.
“If I am anything, I am a Sheffield Wednesday person, not a Forest person.
“Having said that, when we face Sheffield Wednesday I will want nothing better than to beat them.
“You give your best shot to the team you are working for and I am determined to deliver what Leicester want from me.”
The appointment comes, as Mandaric wanted, in time to pick up the Championship campaign when QPR visit the Walkers Stadium on Saturday, City having steadied themselves after their opening-day setback with two draws and a win.
And the City chairman said: “I think Gary has the experience and ability to do the job for us.
“He is a straight, honest guy who impressed me in the talks we had. You can look him straight in the eye and what you see is what you get, a strong personality who can take us forward.
“I didn't want to wait too long for more of the season to pass by, and I hope the fans appreciate my decision and that they will give him their full support.”
Burrows and Taggart, on holiday at the moment, will join up later but Megson, who was scheduled to be formally announced at lunchtime today, will go straight into action with a clear aim.
He said: “Setting up momentum in this division is important, and you do that by winning.”
