Steve Morgan admits Stale Solbakken is a gamble

Wolves chairman Steve Morgan today admitted appointing Stale Solbakken is a "gamble" – but insisted the former Norway international will prove a hit in the Molineux hot-seat.

The multi-millionaire believes his choice, who won five Danish Superliga titles in six years at Copenhagen, is a qualified risk and one that can pay off handsomely.

"It's always a gamble – of course it is, when you appoint any new manager – but we don't believe that just because he's not well known in England, that it's a problem," said Morgan.

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"He's a veteran of the Champions League, he has won lots of silverware as a player and manager andhe will have money to spend.

"It's only a brave appointment in the sense that Stale (pronounced Storler) is not well known in the UK but he's a legend in Scandinavia and northern Europe and his record ranks up there with the best."

Morgan's view is backed up by the fact Solbakken was about to be appointed Norway's national coach before Cologne paid out around £500,000 compensation to release him from his three-year deal. Morgan revealed Wolves had interviewed only two candidates this time – Solbakken and outgoing boss Terry Connor.

"I felt we needed a fresh, new approach," said the chairman at a press conference today alongside the boss and chief executive Jez Moxey.

"Our view was that we wanted to look outside the box in that it's not a name on the tip of everyone's tongue.

"The players rallied under Terry and we felt we needed to give him a chance so we started looking again for a proven, successful manager who we could bring to Wolves."