Henning Berg has signed a three-year deal to become the new Blackburn Rovers boss just months after he claimed it would be "madness" to work at the Championship club, and that "no real managers with credibility" would accept the role.
Berg, who enjoyed two spells with the Lancashire side, will fill the void vacated by the unpopular Steve Kean, who resigned over a month ago.
The 43-year-old has managed Lyn and Lillestrøm in his native Norway since he retired eight years ago but his unflattering comments about the club's regime under the Venky's ownership are already an unwanted stigma.
Berg was part of Blackburn's 1995 title-winning squad
"To work as a manager for a club you need the right owners and to take over as a manager in a club (Blackburn) with owners like that is madness," Berg told talkSPORT in May.
"There are no real managers with credibility who would accept a job like that. You might end up shooting yourself in the foot. You might end up being there a few months with nothing really working and being unable to do what you want."
Berg hoists the League Cup as Rovers captain in 2002
Berg won the Premier League in 1995 and the League Cup in 2002 with Rovers, having left for Manchester United for £4.5m in 1997 only to re-join Blackburn in 2000.
He was part of United's successful Treble-winning side in 1999 and won his third Premier League title and an Intercontinental Cup in the 1999-00 campaign.
Currently fifth in the Championship table, Blackburn had requested to speak to the club's former players Tim Sherwood - currently technical co-ordinator at Tottenham - and Fulham coach Billy McKinlay, but were unsuccessful in their bids.
And on Tuesday Harry Redknapp rubbished rumours he was set to speak with the club about succeeding Kean, whose former assistant Eric Black had been in caretaker charge of the club.