'Done' - Ex-Liverpool & Celtic man leaves Tottenham Hotspur to sign four-year EFL deal

Former Liverpool coach Chris Davies has landed his first role in senior management after signing a four-year contract with League One side Birmingham City.

The St Andrews’ outfit were relegated from the Championship on the final day of the season, after a number of disastrous managerial decisions. The Blues sacked early in the 2023-24 season John Eustace despite sitting sixth in the second-tier table. They replaced him with ex-Manchester United and Everton striker Wayne Rooney but a damaging run of form saw Birmingham slump down the Championship table and into the relegation battle.

Former Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray was drafted in to replace Rooney but a medical leave of absence saw Gary Rowett appointed on an interim basis. The ex-Derby County and Millwall boss could not prevent the club being relegated as Plymouth Argyle, Sheffield Wednesday and Blackburn Rovers all survived at Birmingham’s expense.

Davies, who worked under Brendan Rodgers at Swansea City, Liverpool and Celtic, has left Tottenham Hotspur after 12 months as a senior assistant coach to Ange Postecoglou to take up the role with Birmingham.

Davies said of his switch to St Andrews’: “I am proud and honoured to be the manager of Birmingham City. As soon as I spoke with Tom, Garry, Tom Brady, and other board members it was clear to me how passionate and committed the board and all of the football leadership team are to bringing success to this club.

“It is a club with an ambition that reflects my own, and a plan to make it a reality. It is such an exciting time to be at Blues. I can’t wait to get started, meeting everyone at the club and speaking to our supporters. 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. Let’s go.”

Birmingham City owner and chairman of the Board, Tom Wagner, said: “I am delighted to welcome Chris to 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. From our first meeting, it was clear we were aligned on values and shared the ambition for Blues. Chris will thrive in the high-performance environment that is being created at the club. He wants to be at Birmingham City and is committed to winning.

“I would like to thank both Tom Brady for his support and involvement, and the football leadership team for their diligent approach in identifying our next manager. They have conducted a robust process and we have appointed a top operator to take us forward.”

Birmingham City chief executive officer, Garry Cook, added: “Chris is an outstanding coach and person, that the playing staff and our supporters will instantly warm to. The goal was to identify a progressive coach, one who has demonstrated the ability to build teams and improve players in the squad. Chris has done this at leading clubs, being part of championship, cup and promotion winning teams, working with world class players and managers.

“He is a perfect fit for Blues. He is a meticulous planner, with an insatiable appetite for work. Known for his excellent man management skills, he will now focus on building a Championship ready squad in League One. He is the coach we wanted. Blues is the club he wanted. We are very pleased he is here.”