Lambert on a mission to help Wolves join Premier League pack

PAUL LAMBERT has targeted promotion to the English Premier League after being unveiled as the new manager of Wolves. The 47-year-old has been appointed on a one-year rolling contract after replacing Walter Zenga, who lasted just 87 days, with the club 17th in the Sky Bet Championship. Lambert won promotion to the top flight with Norwich in 2011 — securing successive promotions from League One — and the former Scotland and Celtic captain believes he can turn Wolves around. ‘Anybody who knows me knows I have always played with teams who are winning things,’ he said. ‘I had a great time at Norwich as a manager and a great time at Wycombe. ‘I have been fortunate. I was in the Premier League for four years. Norwich finished joint-10th and I was with a great club in Aston Villa. ‘Coming here is a brilliant opportunity because of the fanbase. ‘I don’t want to sit in the Championship every year. I want to try to get out of the league. If we can make headway and make a run at it, it’s something we can try to go for. ‘Jeff (Shi, director) and Kevin (Thelwell, sporting director) are really ambitious guys. They are the same as me. I want to get out of the league.’ Lambert returns to management after leaving Blackburn in the summer, having activated a get-out clause to end his six-month spell at Ewood Park. He kept Aston Villa in the Premier League after joining in 2012, despite facing budget cuts, and left the club in 2015. Lambert’s first game in his new post is at Preston North End on November 19, with Wolves winless in their past seven games. ‘We have to start to win,’ he said. ‘We need to give the players a feeling of winning games. It’s a new team, but we have to blend quickly.’