Alex McLeish given Nottingham Forest manager's job Mark Arthur and John Pelling, Forest's chief executive and finance director respectively, were appointed to the club's board this week and are believed to have been influential in McLeish's appointment. McLeish said: "I've had time away from the game and now feel refreshed and ready to go. The fact that a club of Forest's magnitude has offered me a job excites me greatly - it's a wonderful opportunity. I can't wait to get started and I'm looking forward to meeting the players, talking to them and taking my first training session. Fawaz Al Hasawi, the Forest chairman, is under pressure to get this appointment right and had targeted a "big name" to raise the club's profile. He will demand McLeish delivers promotion to the Premier League this season with significant funds expected to be made available for next month's transfer window. Forest are in eighth place in the Championship table. Roberto Di Matteo was thought to be Forest's No1 choice, with the ex-Chelsea manager's representatives understood to have been approached but lukewarm about the prospect of a swift return to the front line. Former City Ground favourite Roy Keane was also considered but Forest have opted to hand McLeish his return to management after nearly eight months out. McLeish's links with Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson are also understood to have been pivotal in the appointment. Earlier this season Ferguson blocked a bid from O'Driscoll to take defender Scott Wootton on loan as he was unhappy with the way his son, Darren, had been courted by the Al Hasawi family in the summer. Al Hasawi said: "I'm delighted to welcome Alex to our club and look forward to working with him. Alex took Birmingham to promotion from the Championship and has great experience of working in the Premier League. He's hungry for more success and I believe he's the man who can help us fulfil our ambition of making it to the Premier League.