Birmingham City looked at over 1,000 managers before they hired Chris Davies to become their new manager.
The former Tottenham Hotspur assistant signed a four-year deal to take charge at St Andrew’s on Thursday, succeeding Tony Mowbray at the newly relegated League One club. Blues agreed a compensation package with Spurs as the 39-year-old still had two years remaining on his contract.
Birmingham welcomed NFL legend Tom Brady as a minority owner in the club last August. But last season couldn’t have fared worse for the seven-time Super Bowl champion as Blues were relegated to the third-tier of English football for the first time since 1995.
Brady’s first campaign at Birmingham saw the club go through four different managers, seeing Wayne Rooney replace John Eustace in October before he was shown the exit door in January after winning just two of his 15 games in charge as the club sunk towards the relegation zone. Gary Rowett ended the season as interim boss after Mowbray underwent unexpected surgery.
READ MORE: Premier League chief stunned by Gareth Southgate decision as England boss confronted
Premier League odds and betting tips
READ MORE: Wayne Rooney settles Sir Alex Ferguson vs Pep Guardiola debate with simple claim
Eager to immediately bounce back to the Championship, Blues chiefs claim that they looked at over 1,000 managers and held talks with 40 potential targets before landing on Davies. It’s his first senior managerial job after previously coaching at Spurs, Liverpool and Celtic.
Speaking about their new manager, Chief Executive Officer, Garry Cook, said: “Chris is an outstanding coach who has been part of championship, cup and promotion winning teams, working with world class players and managers. He is a perfect fit for Blues. "He is the coach we wanted. Blues is the club he wanted. We are very pleased he is here.”
On his first venture as a manager, Davies lauded the project he’s joined at Birmingham, saying: "As soon as I spoke with Tom, Garry, Tom Brady, and other board members it was clear to me how passionate and committed the football leadership team are to bringing success to this club.
Wayne Rooney won just two games in charge of Birmingham City (Getty Images)
Former Tottenham coach Chris Davies is the new Birmingham manager (PA)“I will give everything to build an attacking team that reflects this great city, and most importantly to produce a team that our supporters can be proud of.”
The club’s owner and chairman Tom Wagner, who is part of the recruitment panel alongside Brady and Cook, added: "From our first meeting, it was clear we were aligned on values and shared our ambition for Blues.
"He is widely respected in the game and fulfils our goal to appoint an ambitious, progressive coach. He is motivated to help redefine the club, the culture, and the playing identity."
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
