Watford today appointed Chelsea reserve-team coach Brendan Rodgers as their new manager.

Rodgers, 35, beat caretaker boss Malky Mackay to the post, although the Scot will initially stay on as first-team coach, with Frank Lampard Snr making a surprise return to the game. The 60-year-old former West Ham player, father of the Chelsea and England midfielder, has been given the title of football consultant.

Rodgers has signed a 12-month rolling contract and will watch tomorrow's Championship match at Bristol City before taking charge of Saturday's home game against Doncaster.

Mackay will pick the team for the clash at Ashton Gate but his long-term future at Vicarage Road is in doubt after last weekend's 3-0 win over Queens Park Rangers was not enough to land him the job full-time.

Rodgers was only 20 when his playing career at Reading was cut short due to injury. But he stayed at the club to follow the route into coaching and became Academy manager in 2003.

The Northern Irishman joined Chelsea in 2004 as youth-team coach and was put in charge of the reserves two years later.

But Rodgers, who will earn substantially less than the £450,000-a-year former boss Aidy Boothroyd collected, has joined a club clouded by uncertainty.

Watford chairman Graham Simpson is keen to sell his 17 per cent holding in the club, while work to redevelop part of the East Stand has been delayed.

Former directors Jimmy and Vince Russo have forced an Extraordinary General Meeting for next Monday, when they will call for a vote of no confidence in the board and for the immediate resignation of all directors.