Bristol City have announced that Nigel Pearson has been appointed as their new manager, which has drawn an excited reaction from fans of the South West club. 

The Robins have moved fast to find a replacement for Dean Holden, who was sacked after the 2-0 defeat to Reading last Tuesday.

City announced this evening that Pearson has become their new manager after agreeing a deal until the end of the season.

The former Leicester City and Watford boss' will formally take charge on Wednesday, meaning his first game will be against Swansea City on Saturday – though will be in the stands for tomorrow's clash against Middlesbrough.

Pearson will work with assistant coaches Paul Simpson and Keith Downing, who joined in the summer and took interim charge after Holden's exit.

In a statement on the club website, chairman Jon Lansdown said: "Nigel gives us the leadership and direction we need to lift the players’ confidence and to turn our form around.

"The initial appointment is until the end of the season, when we will re-assess the situation, hopefully with a view to the long term. However, the immediate priority for Nigel and the coaching team is to stop the current bad run and move us back up the table.”

Robins CEO Mark Ashton added: "Nigel is a highly respected and experienced manager with a proven track record of success and we are looking forward to welcoming him to the club.”

He looks to have a tough task on his hands as City have lost seven in a row and won just three of their last 14 Championship games – a run that has seen them slip out of the play-off race and drop into the bottom half of the table.

Pearson's arrival certainly seems to have excited the Ashton Gate faithful, though, with many taking to Twitter to voice their thoughts.

Read their reaction here: