Former Real Madrid manager Rafael Benitez has been appointed manager of Newcastle United, replacing Steve McClaren.

The club announced the appointment on Friday via its official website, where Benitez released the following statement:

I have the pleasure to confirm I have committed to a legendary English club, with the massive challenge of remaining part of the Premier League. It will be a challenge not just for me and my staff but for the players, the Club and the fans.

All of us must push together in the same direction and with the same target in mind. This is the reason why I’m going to ask for your total support to successfully complete this task. Personally, it means my return to the Premier League, closer to my home and my family. I can’t be happier.

C’mon Toon Army! The club and I need your total involvement!

Benitez has managed around Europe having also had spells with Napoli, Valencia and Inter Milan, and he has extensive experience of the Premier League after spending six years in charge of Liverpool and a brief spell as interim manager of Chelsea.

Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie said he’ll instantly meet his new squad:

The 55-year-old has an impressive haul of silverware, having won La Liga twice and the UEFA Cup with Los Che, the FA Cup and the UEFA Champions League with Liverpool, the UEFA Europa League with Chelsea and the Coppa Italia with Napoli, along with a number of minor trophies.

Managing director Lee Charnley expressed his delight at the capture:

I am very pleased to welcome Rafa Benitez to the club. In Rafa we have, without doubt, secured the services of one of Europe’s top managers. He has managed some of the most successful teams at the very highest level of the game and we are proud to now have him as our manager.

Our sole focus now is to give our full support to Rafa, his coaching team and the players in order to secure our status in the Premier League.

I would like to place on record my sincere thanks to Paul Simpson, Alessandro Schoenmaker andSteve Black for their service to the Club.

Benitez comes into a difficult situation at St James’ Park with the Magpies fighting relegation after yet another disappointing season.

He is not the expert motivator clubs facing the drop usually turn to in their hour of need, but his skills as a coach and a tactician may still prove vital in helping Newcastle survive.

Nevertheless, former Manchester United goalkeeper and Champions League winner Peter Schmeichel doesn’t think Benitez was the right choice for the role:

Though he has little experience managing a team in their predicament, he was able to come in and steady the ship at Chelsea in the wake of Roberto Di Matteo’s departure, despite widespread opposition to his appointment from the Blues supporters, ultimately finishing the season in third place and with a major trophy.

One of his first jobs at the club will be to shore up the Magpies’ porous defence.

Benitez wasn’t given long at Real Madrid, but one of the first improvements he made was to organise and solidify their back line. Under his tutelage, Los Blancos shipped only four goals prior to November—though, of course, it’s important to remember he had the likes of Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane to work with.

He will need to work fast, but if he can stop his side leaking goals left, right and centre, they might be able to grind out some vital wins to beat the drop.

Off the field, his appointment could signal a change in the club’s recruitment policy as decisions are currently made by owner Mike Ashley on the recommendations of chief scout Graham Carr and Charnley, according to Luke Edwards in the Telegraph.

It’s likely Benitez will want to bring his own players in this summer, though any transfer activity will depend on the more pressing matter of Newcastle’s final position in the Premier League.

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