West Bromwich Albion have appointed Sam Allardyce as manager after sacking Slaven Bilic following their poor start to the season, the Premier League club said on Wednesday.

Allardyce, 66, has managed Bolton Wanderers, Newcastle United, Blackburn Rovers, West Ham United, Sunderland, Crystal Palace and Everton in the top flight, earning a reputation for helping struggling teams to avoid relegation.

“West Bromwich Albion are delighted to confirm the appointment of Sam Allardyce as the club’s new head coach. The experienced boss, who has 512 Premier League games to his name, arrives at Albion with his long-time assistant, Sammy Lee,” the club said in a statement.

Bilic was the first top-flight manager in England to be fired this season after his team picked up only seven points to sit second from bottom in the standings with one win in 13 games.