Neil McDonald has become the third member of Sam Allardyce's former backroom team at West Ham United to take a managerial job since his departure, succeeding Lee Clark at Blackpool.

McDonald, 49, joins the League One outfit on a one-year rolling contract after previously being heavily linked with a return to Carlisle United last summer.

The Tangerines were relegated back to League One after an eight-year stint in the top two divisions of English football. Clark then resigned after less than a season in charge.

Speaking to Blackpool's website following his appointment, McDonald said: "This is a great opportunity for me, it's a massive football club in my opinion and I'm really looking forward to the challenge.

"It's a challenge that's going to be difficult - wherever you go it's always difficult - but it's a challenge that I'm really up for and really excited about. 

"I've got to try and put my stamp on the football club and get it back to where it was. I've got to try and stabilise it first of all after what happened last year with relegation and change people's minds to try and get the confidence back and push the club on to pastures new." 

McDonald previously managed Carlisle in the 2006/07 season, guiding the Cumbrians to their highest league finish in 20 years by finishing eighth in League One.

Just a game into the 2007/08 campaign, McDonald was sacked after the club's board declared they had lost confidence in the Wallsend-born boss.

He subsequently joined Swedish side Ostersunds, saving the club from relegation during a five-week stint.

McDonald had been Allardyce's number two at Upton Park since June 2011. The pair had previously worked together at Blackburn Rovers.