However, club owner Anuradha Desai had signalled her intention to give Kean a long-term deal earlier this month, and has now delivered.

"I am delighted to commit my future to Rovers at the start of what I see as a massively exciting new era for the club," Kean told the club's official website.

He continued: "The owners have shown great faith in me and I will do all I can to repay them.

"This is a great opportunity for me and I intend to grasp it with both hands."

Kean first joined Rovers as first-team coach in 2009, but has quickly found himself thrust into the limelight, with Desai clearly impressed by what she has seen so far.

"We have great confidence in Steve, someone who impresses us with his work ethic, enthusiasm, positivity and football philosophy," she said.

"We feel that the playing squad is in very safe and capable hands and we look forward to working with him.

"Stability is very important to us and this contract is further evidence of our desire to achieve such stability at the club."

Rovers club captain Ryan Nelsen welcomed the news.

"It's absolutely fantastic news," he said. "It gives the team some stability now - I know we already kind of knew, but it's kind of made public now who the leader of the club is.

"With Steve, and the vision of the new owners, it's now going to be a really exciting time."

Nelsen had seemed to question Allardyce's sacking at the time but said on Sky Sports News: "Obviously it was a big surprise.

"But since then, the owners have kind of laid out their vision for the club, Steve has stood up and taken a fantastic grip of the realm, and now it's heading in the right direction. At the time it was more confusion."

Nelsen added: "It's just an extremely exciting time for the club."