Alex Dyer: who is Kilmarnock's new manager?

Clarke and Dyer met when the pair worked at West Ham United, and led Kilmarnock to unprecedented success

After Angelo Alessio's abrupt sacking as Kilmarnock manager earlier this month, assistant Alex Dyer was placed in temporary charge and was immediately among the favourites to replace the Italian.

The 54-year-old Englishman joined the Ayrshire club in 2017 as Steve Clarke's right-hand man, and is also part of his backroom team with the national side.

But, having been appointed manager until the end of the season, who is Dyer and what has he achieved in football?

BBC Scotland looks at his career.

• Dyer appointed Kilmarnock boss

• Alessio sacked after less than 22 games

Playing under 'Big Sam' and sports science

Dyer had a 19-year professional career as a player in England, and briefly Portugal, spanning eight different clubs with over 450 appearances. But despite extensive experience as a player, he did not get into management immediately.

He trained to become a fitness coach and personal trainer and worked as a sports coach at a London school before joining the sports science department at West Ham in 2004.

It was not long before he made the transition to coaching, though, as he took charge of the London club's reserve team until 2011, when he joined Charlton as assistant to his friend Chris Powell.

The pair managed to steer Charlton back to the Championship with a record points haul, and took them to ninth place in England's second tier the following season.

After following Powell to Huddersfield for a year, Dyer then had a spell in caretaker charge of non-league side Welling United.

He has worked with Avram Grant, Sam Allardyce, Eddie Gray and Steve Coppell in a varied coaching career but as yet has little experience as a manager.

Dyer worked alongside Chris Powell at Charlton and Huddersfield

Part of Rugby Park revolution

Dyer and Clarke's relationship goes back to West Ham, when the Scotland head coach was assistant manager to Gianfranco Zola and Dyer was reserve team boss.

Clarke and his staff took Kilmarnock from bottom of the league in October 2017 to fifth place by the end of the season, and then third a year later.

In consecutive seasons the team broke the club's record points tally, took the scalps of Celtic and Rangers, and secured European football for the first time in 18 years.

The success led to Clarke's appointment as Scotland boss, and Dyer turned down the chance to replace him, opting to remain as assistant while taking up the same role with the national team.

Now the Englishman has been granted a second chance, after saying the time is ripe for him to become a manager in his own right.

'Well respected by players and fans'

Derek Ferguson, former Rangers midfielder and BBC Scotland pundit on Sportsound

What I witness with Alex at the games with the fans is the way they respect him. Even with the players. You see things like the body language of players when you're at games and think 'they like him'.