Newcastle have confirmed that caretaker boss Glenn Roeder will become full-time manager on a two-year contract.
Roeder the club from the bottom half of the Premiership to seventh after Graeme Souness was fired in in February.
Roeder said: “I’m very proud and elated. I’m happy with a two-year deal because it keeps us all on our toes.
“When I came up here as a player, I suppose that having an ambition of managing the team wouldn’t have been an option.
“As I went on, and you had asked me a couple of years down the line, I’d have said I’d like to be a manager here one day.
“Now it has happened, it shows that dreams do come true.
“If you work hard and fight for the dream, it proves that anything in life is possible and when the opportunity comes along you have to be ready for it.
“I’m looking forward to the next few seasons now, and I think it is going to be an exciting time for everyone connected with this football club.”
Newcastle’s move to appoint Roeder looked in doubt at one stage as he did not have the required Uefa Pro Licence.
But Premier League clubs agreed he could get the licence while in the job.
Roeder had previously enrolled on the course when he was struck down by a brain tumour in April 2003.
The former West Ham manager had been in charge of Newcastle’s youth academy before his promotion following Souness’ sacking.
Former captain Alan Shearer has also been handed the role of “sporting ambassador” as part of the new regime.
