Blackburn hires Appleton as 3rd manager of season

Blackburn has hired Michael Appleton as its third manager this season as the club attempts to make an immediate return to the Premier League.

The 37-year-old Appleton left fellow second-tier side Blackpool just 66 days after joining from Portsmouth, and signed a 2 1/2-year deal.

Blackburn is 13th in the 24-team League Championship, five points off the playoff places with 21 matches still to play this campaign.

Appleton, a former Manchester United trainee, said Friday ''I am excited about the challenge we have ahead of us.''

Blackburn started the season with Steve Kean as manager before he was fired by the club's Indian owners and replaced with Henning Berg, who was then dismissed on Dec. 27.