As his old club Birmingham sought legal advice over compensation, Villa's new manager marked his first day in the job with a tour of the state-of-the-art training complex.
First steps: Alex McLeish arrives at Villa Park after being confirmed as the club's new manager
McLeish, 52, concedes he faces a battle to win over supporters who object to his links with Villa's rivals.
'The heritage, the history of success and the tradition of Aston Villa are compelling and irresistible,' said McLeish, who resigned on Sunday as Birmingham manager, claiming constructive dismissal.
'The challenge for me is to try to add my own chapter. I know that some of our fans have voiced concerns and I can understand why. It will be up to me to convince you I am the right man.'
'I am honoured to have this opportunity to manage a club with such a fantastic history as Aston Villa's.
'Since first becoming a manager at Motherwell, my desire to succeed and my energy and drive have never waned. My objective is to impart that drive and will to win to the players and fans of Aston Villa.
'Iknow that some of our fans have voiced concerns and I can understand why. It will be up to me to convince you that I am the right man to drive the club forward and I intend to give absolutely everything to prove that I can be a success at the club.'
The 52-year-old became Villa manager six days after resigning from their city rivals with two years left on his contract. He will succeed Gerard Houllier, who left the job after less than a year because of health problems.
Uproar: Aston Villa supporters protest against McLeish on the steps outside Villa Park on Wednesday
McLeish spent most of Wednesday locked in talks with Villa owner Randy Lerner, only for lawyers to become involved after Birmingham threatened an injunction to stop their former manager taking the job.
Villa chief executive Paul Faulkner said: 'We believe we have appointed the right man for the job.
'Unquestionably, Alex meets the criteria we set out at the beginning of our search which was based on proven Premier League experience, leadership, a hard-working ethic and, most importantly, a shared vision for Aston Villa.
'Alex is someone with whom we will work close and work well together. With our strong squad combining the necessary virtues of experience and the exciting potential of our young players, our objective is to compete as strongly as we possibly can.
'Alex's vast experience and proven abilities demonstrate clearly that he is a strong leader and an ambitious man and we are looking forward very much to the exciting new season about to start.'
Making their point: Villa fans have taken action on Facebook to oppose the appointment of McLeish
Birmingham acting chairman Peter Pannu said: 'We are very disappointed with how the club and their fans have been treated by Mr McLeish.'
Birmingham have insisted they will continue their legal fight over McLeish's exit.
A club statement read: 'The fact that Alex McLeish has been appointed as manager of Aston Villa does not, in any way, mean that the legal dispute is over and Birmingham City Football Club maintains its stance and shall vigorously pursue the matter.
'We are very disappointed with how the club and its fans have been treated by Mr McLeish given the way we have supported him over the years and we are still looking into whether Aston Villa's conduct has been in line with Premier League rules.
'As the club is currently enforcing its legal right with Mr McLeish the matter is in the hands of our lawyers and it is therefore not appropriate for the club to make any further comment at this stage.
'The club will continue its full efforts on recruiting a new manager and hope to make an appointment as soon as possible.'
Last night Villa's England striker Gabby Agbonlahor urged fans to back McLeish, saying: 'My message is give him a chance. He will do well here. It's a move only a man with a lot of courage would make.'
And McLeish has also been given an immediate seal of approval from the Premier League's Godfather.
Sir Alex Ferguson is delighted with the appointment. McLeish's mentor and friend believes that his fellow Scot will be a big success and that it is time for disgruntled Villa fans to get behind the controversial appointment.
Supportersprotested at Villa Park on Wednesday night but the Manchester United manager is urging those fans to back McLeish and ignore the fact he willarrive from the club's hated neighbours.
Loud and clear: Villa fans left the messages at Bodymoor Heath
'Hewill be able to assert himself and win over the fans,' said Ferguson. 'His cv is good. He managed Rangers, he managed Scotland, he won trophies and he's achieved what he has as a manager on limited resources. I think he's done a phenomenal job.
'If you look back 40 years ago, the emotions of supporters were far different then to what they are today. They are very emotional today and they are more personal about their football club. You see many examples of that, particularly Aston Villa in the last few days
'As a football club you can't be swayed from the decisions you have to make. You want to say, "Look at the manager's cv and look at what he's achieved at other clubs and, for just one minute, forget about the fact he was at Birmingham".
'At the end of the day, what will count is whether he can do the job for Villa. It doesn't matter whether there are 50 against him or 500 against him or five against him because the experience and the ability he has got, believe me, he will prove that he can do the job.
'In all his jobs he's had to deal with that kind of situation, of making do with what you have and making the best of it. That's a quality.'
?Alex McLeish vows to win over furious Aston Villa fans after completing switch from rivals BirminghamFerguson backs fellow Scot McLeish to be a success at Villa despite fans' anger
?Explore more:People: Alex Ferguson, Alex McLeish, Gerard Houllier Places: Birmingham, Scotland, United Kingdom Organisations: Birmingham City Football Club
Source: Daily Mail
Source: Daily Mail