Hughes succeeds Eriksson at Man City

(CNN) -- Premier League Manchester City have appointed Mark Hughes as their new manager in succession to Sven-Goran Eriksson.

Hughes, who was reported to be under consideration for the vacant managerial position at former club Chelsea, has signed a three-year deal at Eastlands.

City parted company with former England coach Eriksson on Monday and were immediately given permission to talk to Blackburn Rovers manager Hughes, a compensation package for the 44-year-old being quickly agreed.

City's new chief executive, Garry Cook, told his club's Web site: "I am delighted to welcome Mark on board. In our view he is the brightest young manager in the game and he was our number one target for the manager's job."

Hughes has enjoyed a successful four years in charge at Blackburn, guiding them to a high of sixth place in the Premier League, qualification for the UEFA Cup and two FA Cup semifinals.

Before going into club management, Hughes was in charge of the Wales national team, scoring a notable win over Italy but narrowly failing to qualify for Euro 2004.

The Welshman's club career was highlighted by his achievements for City's arch local rivals Manchester United before moving on to Chelsea.

The club's owner Thaksin Shinawatra moved swiftly to replace Eriksson, who guided City to ninth place in the Premier League last season, but lost the confidence of the former Thai prime minister.

"These are exciting times for Manchester City and I hope the supporters can understand that I share their goals," said Thaksin. "That sometimes means making ruthless decisions."

Hughes will take over a team which earned a place in the UEFA Cup next season through the Fair Play league. He will be officially unveiled at a media conference on Thursday.