(Reuters) - Major League Soccer club New York Red Bulls appointed Gerhard Struber as their new coach on Tuesday after he left his role at English Championship (second-tier) club Barnsley. The Red Bulls identified Struber as their number one target to succeed Chris Armas, who was sacked last month. The MLS club paid an undisclosed fee to Barnsley to release Struber from his contract, which was due to expire next year. "The challenge of working in MLS makes me proud and gives me massive motivation for a big opportunity," Struber said in a statement here. "We want to pursue very ambitious goals together and develop steadily." The 43-year-old Austrian guided Barnsley to safety in the Championship last season with stoppage-time wins over Nottingham Forest and Brentford in the final two games. Struber also previously managed second-tier Austrian club Liefering and worked with RB Salzburg’s youth teams. The Red Bulls are seventh in the Eastern Conference.