Bournemouth appoint Andoni Iraola as new manager

The 40-year-old arrives at the Vitality Stadium just hours after Bournemouth announced the shock sacking of previous manager Gary O'Neil, who led the club to Premier League survival last season.

Iraola will now take over the Cherries following the expiration of his contract at Rayo Vallecano, where he spent three years and led the club to an 11th-placed finish in La Liga last season.

The Spaniard has put pen to paper on a two-year deal on the South Coast, keeping him at the club until 2025.

"We're so excited to welcome Andoni to the club. With his contract in Spain coming to an end this summer we wanted to act quickly," Bournemouth owner and chairman Bill Foley said in a statement on the club's official website.

"He was highly sought after by other clubs across the continent, and his style of play has been an important factor in making this decision. His achievements in Spain have certainly been very impressive, and we're confident that he is the right man to lead our next chapter.

"We have identified a number of targets in the transfer market, which along with our January additions will supplement our strong playing squad to give Andoni the best chance to consolidate our Premier League status and keep progressing."

Iraola steered Rayo to promotion in his first season at the Madrid-based outfit, before reaching the Copa del Rey semi-finals a year later.

The former Athletic Bilbao defender will join up with his new playing squad and backroom staff when they return for pre-season training next month, with his first match at the helm being a friendly against Hibernian in Marbella on July 13.

Iraola's first competitive match as head coach will come at home to West Ham United on August 12, the opening weekend of the new Premier League season.