FORMER Elland Road skipper Gary McAllister is the new man at the helm at Leeds United.

Chairman Ken Bates wasted little time in naming the 43-year-old as successor to Dennis Wise, who quit Elland Road to join Newcastle as executive director.

Leeds technical director Gwyn Williams took charge of the side for last night's Coca-Cola League One clash at Southend, following the departure of assistant manager Dave Bassett.

McAllister said: It's a great honour to be back at the club and I can't wait to get in and amongst it.

"My job brief is promotion. I'm here until June initially and my job is to come here and kick-start it."

McAllister, pictured, becomes the club's third manager in 16 months following the sacking of Kevin Blackwell in September 2006.

Since David O'Leary's departure in June 2002, Leeds fans have seen seven different managers, including caretaker-boss Eddie Gray, come and go at Elland Road.

But in contrast to the arrival of predecessor Wise in October 2006, McAllister can count on the red carpet treatment from fans.

The Scot, who also counts Motherwell, Leicester, Coventry and Liverpool among his former clubs, enjoyed hero status among Leeds supporters during his six years at the club.

He helped Leeds win the last Football League Championship in 1992 under Howard Wilkinson before the inception of the Premier League the following season.

Leeds paid £1 million to Leicester to bring the Scot to Elland Road in the summer of 1990 and he became part of a revered midfield quartet alongside Gordon Strachan, Gary Speed and David Batty.

After a day of frantic activity off the field, United suffered a 1-0 defeat at Southend United on the field. A 41st minute strike from Lee Barnard, after United 'keeper David Lucas had parried a free-kick from Steve Hammell, was enough to consign the visitors to their sixth defeat of the season.

With Doncaster Rovers winning 2-0 at home to Hartlepool, United slipped back to sixth place in League One.

United created few chances at Roots Hall and when they did they were off target, with Jermaine Beckford heading wide in first half stoppage time and Peter Sweeney volleying over the bar early in the second half.

The immediate priority for McAllister will be to steady the ship at home to Tranmere Rovers on Saturday.