Roy Hodgson has been unveiled as the new England coach by the FA 83 days after Fabio Capello's resignation.
The 64-year-old has agreed to a four-year deal which will expire after the 2016 European Championship in France.
Hodgson is the first England managerial appointment to have international experience and will take over the role full-time after overseeing West Brom's final two fixtures this season.
A nervous Three Lions' new coach said: "It's a very proud day for me and a very happy one. I'm expecting everyone in England to support the team and get behind the players and myself."
Hodgson confirmed the announcement of the Euro 2012 squad has been put back until after the last game of the Premier League season - which ends next weekend.
He also added he will include Wayne Rooney in his final squad. The Manchester United striker is suspended for the first two matches against France and Sweden at the Ukraine and Poland finals after he was red carded in the final qualifier against Montenegro.
When his ill-fated tenure at Liverpool was brought up, Hodgson shrugged off the suggestions he couldn't handle the England role.
"As far as I’m concerned, Liverpool is a chapter in the past. I'm prepared. I'm looking forward. There's no point thinking about what's happened in the past."
FA chairman David Bernstein added: "We didn't formally approach West Brom until after their match with Aston Villa. The board were unanimous in selecting Roy as he has experience of major tournaments having taken Switzerland to the 1994 World Cup, and that can only help us when we plan for Brazil 2014. His knowledge of the international game is huge."
"The job he did at West Brom shows his ability to build a team with limited resources. There is much to look forward to and this is an exciting time for us all."
Bernstein confirmed there was a shortlist of more than two people, but declined to comment on other candidates. Harry Redknapp was hot favourite for the role after he was acquitted of tax evasion charges on the same day Capello resigned in February.
But Hodgson, Bernstein stressed, was the only manager approached to succeed the Italian while Hodgson himself revealed Redknapp had left him a voicemail message congratulating him on getting the role, and hoped their friendship would continue.
One sign of things to come came when he was quizzed about working in South Africa during the sporting boycott over Apartheid.
"I was young when I went there and it was just for sporting reasons," Hodgson assured.
"I didn't give the politics much thought. I think it's unfair to criticise me for that. All of us were against Apartheid but there wasn't much we could do about it."
Other British players who played in South Africa during the 1970s included Bobby Moore, Gordon Banks, Alan Ball, Jeff Astle, Roger Hunt, Ian St John and Alan Gilzean.
Hodgson becomes the Three Lions' seventh appointment in 20 years, and will take charge of his first match in 25 days time against Norway.
And 41 days from now he will preside over England's first 2012 European Championship match against the French in Donetsk, before facing the Swedes and Ukraine.
Hodgson has managed 18 clubs during his 36-year managerial career, including Inter, Blackburn Rovers, Grasshoppers, FC Copenhagen, and Fulham.
In 1994 he coached Switzerland at the USA World Cup having successfully guided them to their first finals since 1966.
His most successful stint in England came when he arrived halfway through the 2007/08 Premier League season at Fulham, where he helped the Cottagers to safety on the last day of the campaign before a seventh-place finish the following term.
Fulham's final season under Hodgson saw them reach the Europa League final, where they beat Juventus 4-1 en route, although they were defeated by Atletico Madrid 2-1 in the Hamburg final.
HODGSON'S MANAGERIAL CAREER IN PICTURES:
