Alvaro Arbeloa takes charge at Fulham after Marco Silva's Benfica switch

The Spaniard replaces Marco Silva, who opted to take over at Benfica despite receiving fresh contract proposals from Fulham.

Silva's arrival in Lisbon completed an unusual managerial chain, having succeeded Jose Mourinho, who had left Benfica to return to Real Madrid. Mourinho, in turn, took over from Arbeloa at the Spanish giants.

"It is a real honour for me to be embarking on this new stage at Fulham FC, the oldest club in London," he said.

"I feel a great sense of responsibility and I'm deeply grateful to [chairman] Mr [Shahid] Khan and [vice-chairman] Tony Khan for the trust they have placed in me with Fulham in the Premier League."

Arbeloa departed Real Madrid at the end of last season after overseeing the club's final 28 matches following Xabi Alonso's exit in January.

Having previously worked within Madrid's youth setup, he stepped into the interim role and guided the team to a second-place finish in La Liga. His spell also included a UEFA Champions League quarter-final exit at the hands of Bayern Munich.

Fulham's hierarchy were encouraged by glowing endorsements from Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez, while Mourinho, who coached Arbeloa during their time together at the Santiago Bernabeu, also recommended the appointment.

Chairman Shahid Khan said: "Alvaro is, by his own admission, very ambitious. He has spent quality time around the best players, clubs and methods in the game, experiences which will serve him well here at Fulham.

"Alvaro also has great interest in our academy set-up and believes in giving young players a chance. I loved hearing that from Alvaro, as well as his intent on playing attacking football."