Former Liverpool defender Sami Hyypia was hired as manager of Championship club Brighton on Friday.

Hyypia agreed a three-year contract to secure a quick return to management after being sacked by German side Bayer Leverkusen in April.

The 40-year-old, who replaces Oscar Garcia at the Amex Stadium, will be managing in England for the first time.

Hyypia, who won two FA Cups, two League Cups, the Champions League and the UEFA Cup during a successful decade at Liverpool, revealed he had taken an in-depth look at Brighton before deciding on accepting the position with the south-coast side.

"I've held extensive talks with the chairman Tony Bloom and chief executive Paul Barber," he said.

"I have looked at the club from top to bottom and I am very impressed by what I've seen at all levels."

Brighton have been looking for a new boss since accepting Garcia's offer of resignation following their Championship play-off semi-final defeat to Derby.

Hyypia, who won 105 caps for Finland, had been joint-manager of Leverkusen until last year when he was handed sole control of first-team affairs at the BayArena, but he could not last the season and was sacked on April 5.

That failure stings and he is determined to make amends with ambitious Brighton.

"The chairman is ambitious and for me that is absolutely key," he said.

"I am now looking forward to the challenge ahead and our aim is to take the club forward to the next level.

"I've seen the Amex Stadium and the club's new training ground and they are among the best I've seen anywhere in the world."

Chairman Tony Bloom revealed Hyypia was the stand-out name from his list of candidates and has backed the new manager to succeed.

"We are very excited to have appointed Sami as our new manager," said Bloom.

"He has already had a distinguished career in the game, having played and managed at the very top. As we have said previously we had a wealth of very high calibre applicants.

"I am extremely confident that Sami will be a big success at Brighton, and I am sure the fans will share our delight at his appointment."