Pepe Mel wants West Brom to challenge for Europe

The new Baggies boss, who took former club Real Betis into the Europa League last season with a seventh-place La Liga finish, insisted the his new side can do the same.

Asked where he wanted Albion to be after his first year in charge, the 50-year-old said: "Fighting for the places that give access to the Europa League.

"I'm convinced things are going to go well here, and we are going to be a success.

"West Bromwich Albion have thought now for a month I am the best man for the job, which is important.

"The players are showing an awful lot of desire to adapt to my model.

"They are being very positive.They were four very tough years of work in Betis, and here it is the same job I've got to do.

"I hope that in the future, many years from now when I leave here, that West Brom will also be in my heart.

"The teams are at a similar level – Betis in La Liga and West Brom in the Premier League, so it really is the same job, and at Betis we did the job very successfully."

Mel revealed he took the Baggies post following advice from former Liverpool and Chelsea boss Rafa Benitez, who is now in charge of Napoli in Italy.

The pair were team-mates as youngsters in Real Madrid's C team and Benitez is a former boss of Albion analyst Dave McDonough, who was on the five-man panel that selected Mel as Steve Clarke's replacement.

"I spoke to Rafa," said Mel. "He really did encourage me to come here to England.

"He said it's a club that needs a lot of work, but has a lot of possibilities to be successful.

"Rafa did say it's the best league in the world, and he was fortunate enough to have worked with two massive clubs in Liverpool and Chelsea.

"Rafa clearly liked it that much that his wife and children live in Liverpool.

"He is a very good friend of mine, but the team Rafa picked up is very different to the team I've got here."