Dean Saunders named new Wolves manager

The Norwegian was sacked after the team crashed out of the FA Cup losing 1-0 to non-league Luton Town. Wolves owner and chairman Steve Morgan moved to bring in Doncaster Rovers boss Saunders within hours of the defeat.

Saunders will be the club's fourth manager in 11 months, following the ousting of Mick McCarthy last February, and his replacement Terry Connor after the club was relegated to the Championship.

Arriving at the club's Compton Park training ground in a black Mercedes to meet the players and staff, Saunders said today: "This is a big club and I am looking forward to it.

"Wolves is a great club and I am proud to be manager. It is a tough league and we have just got to get up the other end of it.

"We have got to hit the ground running and there is no secret in football, good players working hard and that is where I will be pointing them.

"It is, obviously, a big change. I have just got to get stuck into it and get on with the job."

Wolves today confirmed Saunders as the new boss. In a statement, the club said: "Wolves are delighted to confirm that Dean Saunders is to become the new manager.

"Compensation has been agreed with Doncaster Rovers to allow the 48-year-old to take over at Molineux following Saturday's departure of Stale Solbakken."

Married father-of-three Saunders is expected to be given a one-year rolling contract and his first game in charge will be against Blackburn on Friday night at Molineux.

Today Solbakken, aged 44, spoke of his "hurt" at losing a job he loved which came after Wolves won just three of their last 16 games

Solbakken revealed he was told of his sacking during a phone call with chief executive Jez Moxey.

He said: "Jez had planned to speak to me directly but I called him because I wanted to have a meeting or two in the coming days about transfer activity.

"We talked a bit but I understood very quickly that we weren't singing the same song and I was told the bad news by Jez. But I thought that was a fair way of doing it.

"It is a fantastic club and I have enjoyed every minute. Every day I would look forward to going to work.

"At this moment I feel proud and it has hurt a little and you don't feel very well after it happens but that's football and you have to get on with it.

"I wish Wolves all the best for the future."

Solbakken admitted he had "made mistakes" during his reign but he said the club was going through a "Premier League hangover."

He added: "We started well but then came the injuries. We started to play catch up and then the bad spell came. We didn't come out of it until a bit before Christmas, but then we had this disastrous Christmas period."

The Wolves board moved swiftly to bring in a new manager in the wake of Saturday's game with the Luton chairman and Midlands Today presenter Nick Owen saying he saw officials in high level discussions straight after the game.

The club immediately opened talks with Doncaster as Saunders, who began his managerial career with Wrexham in October 2008, was the only man in the running for the job.

Wolves reached a deal last night for the former Aston Villa striker and Welsh international to take over at Molineux.

Saunders has taken Doncaster to second place in League One this season after suffering relegation with them from the Championship last season.

Joining Saunders at Wolves will be his Doncaster assistant manager Brian Carey and fitness coach Mal Purchase after Solbakken's backroom staff, assistant manager Johan Lange and first-team coach Patrick Weiser also left the club.

Saunders was arriving in the city today and was appearing at a press conference this afternoon.