Mark Hughes took over as Stoke City manager on a three-year contract on Thursday, saying he wanted to prove critics  wrong and restore his reputation after being fired by Queens Park Rangers last year.

The former Manchester United striker replaces fellow Welshman Tony Pulis who left the Premier League club by mutual consent last week after seven years in charge.

"I'm really grateful...they've looked maybe beyond my last position and taken my career as a manager as a whole," Hughes told a news conference at the club's Clayton Wood training ground.

"Mistakes were made (at QPR) and certainly I made mistakes which I will learn from," said the 49-year-old.

"I have had something like 270 games at Premier League level and people in recent months possibly have wanted to define my managerial career on the basis of 12 months of last season...maybe it gives me more motivation to prove people wrong."

Hughes was sacked by QPR in November, departing after a miserable start to the season with the west Londoners, at that point the only club in England's four professional divisions not to have recorded a win.

In total, he won only eight of his 34 games in charge at Loftus Road.

The former Blackburn Rovers, Manchester City, Fulham and Wales manager was replaced at QPR by Harry Redknapp who failed to stave off relegation.