Former Chelsea star Roberto Di Matteo - most famous for having scored the fastest goal in an FA Cup final - has been unveiled as the manager of newly-promoted League One side MK Dons. He has signed a one-year deal with an option of extending it further.

The unenviable job of taking over from where the impressive and successful Paul Ince left off attracted more than 40 applicants, according to owner Pete Winkleman.

It is something of a gamble to give the job to Di Matteo, who is untried as a manager - especially as experienced bosses such as Ian Holloway and Steve Cotterill were believed to be amongst those offering their services.

Somehow it seems fitting that a brand new manager is taking over at this relatively new club - and it had to be a big name to replace the new Blackburn boss Ince. There is no doubt that Di Matteo will bring a huge amount of knowledge and a burning desire to be successful at the club.

Di Matteo won 34 caps for Italy during spells with Lazio and Chelsea and retired from playing in 2002. He was only 31 years old at the time but he had never fully recovered from a triple leg break some 18 months earlier.

Since he retired from playing he has kept some links with Chelsea by doing occasional promotional work for the club and using their gym to keep himself fit.

He has always been a likeable and popular figure and will no doubt become a firm favourite with the fans in Milton Keynes. As with any manager, that will only hold good if he achieves results with the team on the pitch. He will be keen and hard-working, but the challenge of management is something he has not taken on before.

A statement was released by MK Dons saying: "Like the club itself, Roberto is young, ambitious and hungry to succeed. We are enormously excited about the team moving forward under his leadership."

This is a great opportunity for Di Matteo as he is guaranteed support from the ambitious Winkleman and takes over a club on the up with a fine stadium and increasing support. Paul Ince will be a tough act to follow, but Di Matteo will not lack the ability, confidence or charisma to give it a pretty good shot.

It all looks good for the MK Dons but I want to give a small word of warning. As a Watford fan I was thrilled a few years ago when we appointed former Chelsea and Italy star Gianluca Vialli as our manager. However, his short spell in charge of the team was a total disaster on the pitch and a financial catastrophe off it. I hope for your sake that Di Matteo hasn’t modelled himself on his fellow countryman!

So are you Dons happy, or would you have preferred a more established manager to take the reins?