JOHN BARNES is to become the new Tranmere manager, with the Prenton Park outfit set to confirm his appointment today.

The former Liverpool winger yesterday confirmed that he had taken the job and the Jamaican Football Federation released a statement explaining that he had told them a week ago that he would be joining Tranmere.

Barnes said: "I’m looking forward to it immensely.

"I take heart from what Watford did with Graham Taylor.

"If you look at what Reading have done and if you look at what Burnley have done, you don’t need to have the best players and lots of money to be successful.

"If players are committed and have desire and you have the organisation, you just have to encourage them to play and that’s what I’ll be doing at Tranmere.

"They were minutes away from getting into the play-offs before missing out to the eventual winners Scunthorpe, so all is not wrong at Tranmere at all."

Barnes had been coaching the Jamaican national team since November last year but was replaced by Theodore Whitmore earlier this month after Ronnie Moore’s shock sacking at Prenton Park.

However, officials in Kingston have insisted that Barnes was not sacked.

A JFF statement explained: "His (Barnes’s) contract was due to expire on June 30, 2009.