Sam Allardyce to bag £1.5m bonus if he keeps West Brom in Premier League after replacing sacked manager Slaven Bilic

SAM ALLARDYCE will be handed a £1.5million bonus to keep West Brom in the Premier League.

Allardyce moved into The Hawthorns hotseat after Slaven Bilic was sacked on Wednesday morning — 12 hours after claiming a hard-earned point at Manchester City.

Big Sam, 66, returns to the game over 2½ years after leaving his last job at Everton.

He has been handed an 18-month deal — with a break clause should the Baggies go down.

Allardyce will take training ahead of Sunday’s West Midlands derby with Aston Villa.

But some Albion fans phoned talkSPORT to make it clear they are angry Bilic was sacked and do NOT want Allardyce in charge.

Yet Albion are convinced that Allardyce will improve the team and give them a chance to stay up.

West Brom’s sporting director Luke Dowling said: “In Sam we have a man who has a proven Premier League pedigree with a track record of improving every club he has managed.

“We believe and, more importantly, Sam believes we have a group of players that have the quality needed to give the club its best chance of Premier League survival.”

Former Croatia star Bilic and his staff were informed Wednesday morning in a face-to-face meeting.

Sources say there was an amicable discussion and a shaking of hands.

But it is understood the club’s record over the past 12 months — and just seven points from 13 games — are the main reasons for the decision.

Bilic was in charge for 18 months and won promotion from the Championship last season.

But the writing had been on the wall for a while during an uneasy relationship with The Hawthorns hierarchy.

And on Monday Bilic, 52, admitted no talks were planned on a new contract with six months to go on his current deal.

Former England boss Allardyce joins the Baggies with long-time assistant Sammy Lee.