Coventry Confirm Dowie Appointment

Coventry have confirmed the appointment of Iain Dowie as their new manager following caretaker Adrian Heath's departure from the club yesterday.

Dowie - who was officially unveiled at a press conference this morning - signed a three-and-a-half-year contract with the struggling Sky Blues, who sit 17th in the Championship. He succeeds Micky Adams, who was sacked last month, as full-time manager.

"There is a burning ambition to get back into the Premiership and this is a club that matches my ambition. It's about both of us working together," said Dowie. "It's a magnificent arena here and I'm looking to take the club forward and looking forward to a big challenge. There are great people around me and we believe in what we're doing here. There has got to be investment, but we can do our business in a quiet fashion."

Dowie admits that he held talks with new Leicester chairman Milan Mandaric but insists that there was never any doubt he would join Coventry. "Milan is leading a very exciting time at Leicester and I'm delighted that a club like that was interested," he added. "Leicester are a club on the up but so are Coventry. I was very impressed with the ambition of the club. For me, it was about the fact that Coventry showed great desire to get me here."

Dowie has been out of work since leaving Charlton in November. He had been in charge at The Valley for just 12 games but paid the price for a poor start to the Premiership season. His time with the Addicks was mired in controversy from the outset after he left Crystal Palace, citing his desire to return north just weeks earlier.

He had previously enjoyed success with Palace, having taken them into the Premiership in 2004. The former Northern Ireland and Southampton striker, after a short stint as caretaker boss at QPR, began his managerial career with Oldham in 2002 before moving to Palace the following year.

His first match in charge at Coventry will be tomorrow's Championship clash with Southampton at the Ricoh Arena.