Stoke City

Paul Lambert: 'I don't care if I wasn't Stoke City's number-one target'

By Darren Plant, Senior Reporter | 16 January 2018

Lambert: 'I don't care if I was third choice'

Paul Lambert claims that he does not care if he was not Stoke City's number-one choice to replace Mark Hughes at the bet365 Stadium.

Paul Lambert has revealed that he jumped at the opportunity to hold discussions with Stoke City, despite suggestions that he was not the club's first choice to replace Mark Hughes.

Over the past week, it has been claimed that the Potters hierarchy were keen to appoint either Quique Flores or Martin O'Neill, only for the managers of Espanyol and Republic of Ireland to reject Stoke's advances.

Lambert has now been brought in on a two-and-a-half-year deal, but the Scot has insisted that he does not care where he sat on the board's list of targets.

At a press conference, the 48-year-old said: "I got a call and asked if I would meet the owners and I had no hesitation. I was up in Scotland at the time so I came down, met them and the club is really nice. Everyone knows it's stable club, two managers in 10 years. I'm delighted to be here.

"I didn't need convincing. Maybe they were favourites, maybe they weren't. Whether I was 15th choice it doesn't matter, I wanted to come here.

"Whether I was 15th or 50th choice, it doesn't matter to me one bit, this is a fantastic football club and I'm privileged to be here. You have to earn the right to stay in that league and that starts on Saturday."

Lambert's first game in charge will be at home to Huddersfield Town on Saturday afternoon.