Birmingham City are bringing him back

Gary Rowett has returned to Birmingham as acting manager following Tony Mowbray’s prolonged medical absence.

Mowbray replaced Wayne Rooney at St Andrews in January, but he stood down a month later to get medical treatment, with plans to return in six to eight weeks. The former Sunderland manager will now be away until the start of pre-season, allowing Rowett to return to the club where he spent two years in command between 2014 and 2016.

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Rowett left his new club’s Championship relegation opponents Millwall in October and now leads a Blues team that is barely out of the bottom three on goal difference with eight games remaining. Mowbray had a part in Rowett’s appointment.

Birmingham’s co-owner and chairman of the board, Tom Wagner, said in a statement on the club’s website: “Based on Tony’s decision to take some extra time away, we agreed it is in the club’s best interests to appoint Gary Rowett to lead the team forward from the touchline for the final eight games of the season.” Gary is an accomplished leader who has our whole backing.

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Assistant Mark Venus will also quit the club and rejoin Mowbray, although first-team coaches Ashley Cole and Peter Shuttleworth, as well as goalie coach Maik Taylor, will continue in their roles.

Rowett will be on the sidelines for Birmingham’s game against fellow strugglers QPR next week.