Rowett keen to stay as Birmingham promise competitiveness

Gary Rowett is keen to extend his contract at Birmingham City having been assured of the club’s determination to be “competitive moving forward”.

The 41-year-old is currently on a 12-month rolling contract at St Andrew’s, but the club are looking to tie him down to a longer deal.

QPR and Fulham both wanted Rowett as their new manager after he has taken Blues from the Sky Bet Championship relegation zone to the play-offs in just over a year after joining from Burton.

“We have been talking to the club for five or six weeks about potentially solidifying that relationship going forward for me and my staff,” Rowett told the club’s official website.

“The club have recognised where we were 12 months ago and we have kind of shown our value.

“Two or three weeks ago it was a case of having lost Cotts (David Cotterill) and Clayton (Donaldson). One of my big concerns then was how are we going to kick on now?

“What the club have actually done is show me that we’re going to at least try and be competitive moving forward and I think that’s important and I’m thankful for them for trying to do that.

“That certainly hasn’t been done because of the speculation.”