BURY have appointed Lee Clark as their permanent manager, the club has confirmed.

The former Huddersfield, Birmingham City and Blackpool boss has left his current post at Kilmarnock to take up the position, replacing head coach Chris Brass as boss at Gigg Lane.

A statement released by Bury said the club had agreed a compensation package with Kilmarnock and that he would be released from his contract with the Scottish Premiership side with immediate effect.

Shakers chairman Stewart Day said: "The appointment of the manager for the club is a key one in the progression of Bury Football Club and I have taken my time to assess where we are as club and how we can progress forward.

"Sometimes this takes longer than anticipated due to ensuring you get the right person, the relationship between the chairman and the manager, at any football club, is the most important partnership.

"Whilst there where a number of applicants for the job when David Flitcroft left I didn’t feel that these where the right fit for the club to progress and I wanted to go out and appoint someone who I believed in.

"Lee is someone who I have followed through his playing and managerial career.

"He has played at the very highest level and managed at League One and Championships club.

"I was particularly aware of his time at Huddersfield and Birmingham City. Lee managed Huddersfield to a record 49 games unbeaten and took the club to the League One play-off final.

"He has since gone on to manage at Blackpool, in the Championship, and now at Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premiership, where he has taken them from a relegation play-off position to sixth place within 12 months.

"I firmly believe Lee is the right man and he has an enthusiasm and passionate desire to take this club forward.

"I was overwhelmed with his knowledge of the club and the contacts he has in the game and how he believes in what we can achieve together.

"I would like to place on record my sincere thanks to Chris Brass and Ryan Kidd for stepping up into the role and helping to steady the ship.

"We have, under their stewardship, been able to develop players from our youth academy into the first team and this also helped enable the sale of Jacob Bedeau to Aston Villa.

"Both Chris and Ryan will still have an important role at the club and further news will be released in due course."

Clark will meet the players tomorrow at their Carrington training ground and will be in charge for Saturday’s relegation clash at Chesterfield.

In a statement released by Kilmarnock, Bury's new manager said the move was intended to further his ambition to one day manage in the Premier League.

"I have had a wonderful year as Kilmarnock manager," he said. "The club and fans have treated myself and my family fantastically - we are in a good position with a strong and loyal squad and staff.

"The directors have given me their full support in rebuilding the squad and the fans will always have a special place in my heart but I still have huge ambition to one day manage at the highest level in England, which is obviously the Premier League, and I feel that the fresh challenge of managing a club in England's League One could provide me with the platform to build towards this goal."