Lambert exits Stoke City in latest managerial change

Boss Paul Lambert has left Stoke by “mutual consent” following the club’s relegation to the Championship.

Lambert was appointed on a two-and-a-half-year deal in January after Mark Hughes was sacked but the former Aston Villa and Norwich boss was unable to keep the club in the Premier League.

The Scot won just two of his 15 games in charge – his first fixture against Huddersfield in January and what proved to be his final match at Swansea last weekend.

A statement on stokecityfc.com read: “The club would like to thank Paul for his work over the past four months and wish him well for the future.

“Whilst he was unable to guide us to Premier League safety after being appointed in January, it certainly wasn’t due to a lack of effort, professionalism and dedication on his part.”

The statement added: “The club will appoint a replacement as soon as possible in order to give the new manager time to prepare for the challenge of the 2018-19 season in the Championship.”