Mark Robins has been appointed as the manager of Stoke City on a three-and-a-half-year contract.

He replaces Narcis Pelach, who left the club last week after just three months at the helm, with the Potters sitting 18th in the Championship, four points above the relegation zone.

Robins, who is Stoke's third manager in 2024-25, has been out of work since being sacked by Coventry City in October, after almost eight years in charge.

Across his second tenure at Coventry, Robins oversaw 387 matches, winning 157 (D98 L132), averaging a win percentage of 39.97%, a total only bettered during spells with Rotherham United (43.41%) and his first stint with the Sky Blues (51.52%). 

He led them from League Two to the Championship, and almost oversaw a return to the Premier League, having reached the play-off final in 2022-23, but missed out after losing to Luton Town.

Last season, while Coventry missed out on the play-offs, they did reach the FA semi-final where they took Manchester United all the way to penalties.

"At Coventry, Mark built something successful with a real identity and longevity, and he left the club in a significantly better place than he found it," said Stoke sporting director Jon Walters.

"That's exactly what we want to achieve at Stoke City, and he has all the pedigree and experience to help us do that.

"With a record like that behind him, Mark was always going to be in great demand, so we're delighted that he sees an exciting opportunity to build something special in the Potteries.

"The immediate mission is to climb as high as we can up the Championship table during the second half of this season, whilst also laying foundations for a long-term successful future for our club."

Robins' first game in charge will be against managerless Plymouth Argyle on Saturday, with caretaker manager Ryan Shawcross remaining in the dugout for their meeting with Burnley on New Year's Day.