Aston Villa have named Dean Smith as their new manager, while John Terry will work as his assistant and Jesus Garcia Pitarch has come in as the club’s new sporting director.

It has been a busy few weeks for Villa after they parted ways with former boss Steve Bruce earlier this month, with the likes of Thierry Henry and Rui Faria subsequently linked with the managerial position.

However, Villa have instead opted to appoint Smith, with the 47-year-old joining the club he supports following a successful three-year spell in charge of their Championship rivals Brentford.

Smith guided Brentford to three successive top-10 finishes in the Championship and leaves the Bees seventh in the current standings, three points and eight places above Villa.

Former Chelsea and England star Terry will work as Smith’s assistant in what will be his first coaching role.

The 37-year-old will be a familiar face to Villa fans as he played for the club last season, making 36 appearances in all competitions.

Spaniard Pitarch will be less familiar to the Villa faithful although he boasts an impressive CV as he has worked as the director of football at Valencia and Atletico Madrid in the past.

Villa will be hoping the trio’s arrival can kickstart their march up the Championship standings, with their next match against Swansea at Villa Park on October 20.

The Birmingham-based outfit are priced at 2.00 to begin Smith’s reign with a victory, while Swansea are available at 4.00 and the draw is on offer at 3.40.