Tony Bloom says he has not taken a gamble in appointing Fabian Huerzeler as head coach.

The Albion chairman was alongside Huerzeler as they faced the media today.

The new boss has not previously worked as a head coach in top-tier football and arrives after a relatively brief, but successful, stint at St Pauli.

Bloom revealed a great deal of research had gone in to choosing the successor to Roberto De Zerbi.

He told reporters: “Our fans, our players and the whole city should be very excited about this appointment.

“I wouldn’t talk about it as a gamble at all.

“We look at everything. We put a lot of effort into the appointment of any head coach like other clubs do and we think Fabian is the best fit for the football club.

“We think it’s the least risk option of all the options we had.”