Crystal Palace have appointed Patrick Vieira as their new manager on a three-year deal.
The former Arsenal captain replaces Roy Hodgson, who stepped down at the end of last season after four years at the helm.
Vieira has signed a contract until the summer of 2024 and accepts his third role in senior management.
Vieira told the club’s official website: “I am really excited to have this opportunity to return to the Premier League, and manage this great football club, as we begin a new chapter together.
“The club has fantastic foundations in place after many years in the Premier League, and I hope we can make further improvements and continue to drive the club forward."
Most recently the 45-year-old was in charge of Nice but was sacked by the Ligue 1 side in December following a poor run of form.
During two-and-a-half seasons with the club dubbed the Eaglets, Vieira led them to seventh and fifth-place finishes but the latter occurred after the 2019-20 campaign was curtailed early due to the coronavirus pandemic.
As a player, the former France international became a household name during a nine-year stay with Arsenal under Arsene Wenger where he helped them win three Premier League titles and captained the Gunners to an unprecedented unbeaten league campaign.
Spells at Inter Milan and Manchester City during the latter part of his career on the pitch brought further trophies before the World Cup and European Championship winner turned his hand to coaching.
Upon retiring in 2011, Vieira accepted a role at the Etihad Stadium with Man City’s academy before he took over at New York City in 2016.
Impressive progress was achieved with the side owned by the City Football Group in the MLS before a move to Nice occurred two years later.
While it ended in France with fan protests, it was not long ago Vieira was linked with the Arsenal job, but he will need to hit the ground running at Selhurst Park.
Palace start the new season away to Chelsea on August 14 and face Tottenham, Liverpool, Leicester plus his old side the Gunners in the opening two months of the campaign.
The new Eagles boss will also have to deal with a big turnover of players after several departed at the end of the last term, while the ageing squad remains in desperate need of reinforcements.
