Cotterill turns down permanent assistant role at Birmingham

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Steve Cotterill has rejected an offer to continue on as assistant to manager Harry Redknapp at Sky Bet Championship club Birmingham.

Cotterill, 52, and Paul Groves were drafted in as first-team assistants by Redknapp, who was appointed temporary boss following the resignation of Gianfranco Zola last month.

Redknapp won two of his three games in charge to guide Blues to safety and signed a one-year deal on Friday to become permanent boss, but Cotterill has opted to leave St Andrew’s.

“It was a very difficult decision,” Cotterill told the club’s official website. “I have given it a lot of thought.

“But I have decided to turn down the club’s offer of being assistant manager.

“The club made me a good offer and my decision was solely based on being a number two, whereas really I have been a manager for a long time in my own right.

“Harry Redknapp asked me to come in and help for three weeks and I believe that’s what I firmly did.”

Cotterill’s managerial career has spanned 22 years and his former clubs include Cheltenham, Burnley, Portsmouth and Nottingham Forest, while he steered Bristol City to promotion to the Championship in 2015.

Cotterill added: “If I’m not working at the start of next season I have been invited to come to any Birmingham game to watch, which is a very nice gesture.

“I’d like to wish a great football club all the very best for the future.”