Paul Lambert to land £1m bonus if he can stop Stoke being relegated this season
Defeat to Manchester United leaves Potters slumped in bottom three in need of major work to ensure they do not slip down into the Championship
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PAUL LAMBERT is in line for a £1million bonus - if he manages to keep Stoke in the Premier League.
Lambert has been handed the job of trying to save the Potters from relegation after being appointed as successor to Mark Hughes.
The former Norwich and Aston Villa boss has signed a two-and-a-half year deal to take charge at the Bet365 Stadium in a move that has shocked supporters.
Stoke had seen themselves knocked back by their first three choices with Gary Rowett opting to stay at Derby and Quique Flores decided to commit his future to Espanyol.
When Martin O'Neill rejected their advances to remain as Republic of Ireland boss, it was Lambert who was the shock name they turned to.
The Scot has been out of work for the past seven months since he was sacked by Wolves, but he now needs to hit the ground running with the Potters.
He inherits a side who have lost their last three matches in the Premier League and the 3-0 defeat to Manchester United left them in 18th in the table with the worst goal difference in the league.
Lambert, 48, is understood to have agreed to a relatively low salary with the huge £1m bonus payment due if he can keep the club in the top flight.
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He was in the stands at Old Trafford on Monday night to watch his side lose to United, a result which means Stoke have picked up just four points from their last eight matches.
He will work with his players for the first time today, and will take charge of his opening Premier League match against fellow strugglers Huddersfield on Saturday.
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Lambert made a huge impression in his interview with the Stoke board, showing an in-depth knowledge not only of the current Stoke squad but also the kind of players the club should be looking to bring in.
Stoke chairman Peter Coates said: “Paul greatly impressed us with his knowledge of our squad and had a clear plan of how he would improve our results.
"He’s a man who backed himself as a player, none more so than when he turned down contract offers in Scotland to go on trial in the German Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund, and it’s obvious he adopts the same approach as a manager.”