Leeds owner Massimo Cellino has confirmed former Slovenia international and "very cool guy" Darko Milanic will become the club's new head coach.
Milanic, 46, quit as head coach of Austrian side Sturm Graz on Sunday and as expected headed to Elland Road ahead of signing a two-year contract, which is set to be finalised on Wednesday.
Cellino s acked David Hockaday and assistant Junior Lewis on August 28 after only six games in charge, and held initial talks with Milanic eight days ago.
The Italian said: "Yes, we agreed a two-year deal."
Speaking on Sky Sports News, Cellino said: "H e's just arrived today. We've been waiting for him about 15 days.
"I don't know (why I've chosen him). The coaches are like watermelons. You find out about them when you open them.
"His particularly qualities? He's good looking, what can I tell you?
"He was a very good counter-attacking defender with Partizan Belgrade and Sturm Graz, and a good coach with Maribor for four years and took the club to the Champions League and Europa League, and he made it good as player and coach and he likes the Premier League.
"He gave up his place in the Premier League in Austria to come to the Championship with Leeds, and we hope that the club in Leeds is a good chance for him to have a good team and an important club to run, so he can make us proud.
"He does not talk much and is very pragmatic. I like him. H e is a very cool guy."
Sturm Graz announced on Sunday that Milanic had left his post after activating a buy-out clause in his contract. He took charge of his final game for the Austrian club on Saturday.
Serbian Novica Nikcevic, Milanic's assistant at Sturm Graz, is expected to join him at Elland Road.
Milanic, a former Sturm Graz player, captained Slovenia at Euro 2000 and after turning to management guided Maribor to four Slovenian league titles and three Slovenian Cup wins.
He joined Sturm Graz as head coach on a three-year contract in June 2013, steering the club to a fifth-placed finish in 2013-14.
Cellino asked Leeds academy manager Neil Redfearn to look after first-team affairs following Hockaday's departure.
Redfearn was ruled out of the running for the job on a permanent basis by Cellino last weekend, but has clearly enjoyed his second stint as the Yorkshire club's caretaker boss.
He oversaw three wins and a draw in his four Sky Bet Championship games in charge to lift Leeds up to 12th place.
Redfearn is expected to be closely consulted by Milanic on first-team team matters during the early weeks before resuming his successful tenure as academy chief.
Cellino had initially wanted to replace Hockaday with former Brighton boss Oscar Garcia, who opted instead for Watford, and held talks with former West Brom manager Steve Clarke and, it is understood, with Preston's Simon Grayson, who was sacked after just over three years in charge of Leeds in 2012.
Source: PA
