Tim Sherwood appointed new Aston Villa boss

Tim Sherwood had a top-flight win percentage of 59% at Tottenham, the best of any Spurs boss in Premier League history

Tim Sherwood has been appointed manager at Aston Villa, signing a contract at the club until summer 2018.

Villa sacked Paul Lambert on Wednesday after a winless run of 10 league games in which they scored just two goals.

Sherwood, 46, replaced Andre Villas-Boas as Tottenham manager in December 2013 but was sacked at the end of last season and has been out of work since.

"It is a great honour to manage one of the biggest clubs in English football," said Sherwood.

"I can't wait to get started and I'm really looking forward to the challenge."

Sherwood takes over a Villa side that have struggled badly since taking 10 points from their first four matches - scoring just 12 league goals in 25 games, the lowest in Premier League history at that stage.

They dropped into the relegation zone after Tuesday's 2-0 defeat to Hull.

The appointment comes just two days after first-team coach Scott Marshall and goalkeeping coach Andy Marshall took temporary charge following Lambert's dismissal.

Sherwood has been linked with a number of jobs since leaving Spurs, most recently the QPR post, when he looked set to be named as Harry Redknapp's successor.

However, negotiations with the ex-Tottenham boss ended after he sought assurances about the club's future.

Aston Villa chief executive Tom Fox said: "Tim had a fantastic career at Tottenham, not only in his brief spell as first-team manager but, just as importantly, in the role he played in developing young talent.

Sherwood replaces Paul Lambert, who was sacked hours after the Birmingham Mail started a campaign to oust him

"We strongly believe Tim has the qualities to get the best out of our current squad and help us build and develop for the future."

After working as a coach at White Hart Lane from 2008, Sherwood stabilised Spurs following the exit of Villas Boas, taking them above Manchester United to finish sixth in the Premier League in 2013-14.

Villa chairman Randy Lerner says he is convinced that the "fresh, positive approach" of Sherwood will be "very good for the club".

It is not known at this stage whether the new boss will be in the dugout for Villa's FA Cup fifth-round tie at home to Leicester tomorrow.

Sherwood, who won three England caps, joined Tottenham as a player in 1999 from Blackburn, where he captained them to the Premier League title in 1994-95.

He left White Hart Lane in 2003 and moved to Portsmouth but returned as part of the club's coaching staff under then manager Harry Redknapp.

Spurs were five points off the Champions League qualifying spots when Sherwood took over and ended the campaign 10 points adrift of fourth-placed Arsenal

Sherwood averaged 1.91 points per game from his 22 league matches in charge at Spurs

Spurs keeper Brad Friedel said Sherwood showed enough in his five months in charge at White Hart Lane to suggest he has the attributes to manage at the top level

Former Tottenham academy coach Bradley Allen says Sherwood will "not be fazed" by the task of trying to steer Villa away from relegation trouble