Steve Bruce said he is relishing the opportunity to turn round Aston Villa’s fortunes after he was confirmed as the Championship club’s new manager. The 55-year-old succeeds Roberto Di Matteo, who was sacked after four months in charge, and his first game as Villa manager will be against their west Midlands rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers at home on Saturday.
Tony Xia, Villa’s owner, pointed to Bruce’s track record of winning promotion from the Championship – something he has done four times, with Birmingham City and Hull City twice each – as well as his experience of managing in the Premier League as key factors in the club’s decision.
Bruce is expected to bring in Keith Bertschin and Stephen Clemence, who worked alongside him at Hull, to be part of his backroom staff at Villa. His first task will be to lift morale among a group of players who have won only once this season – against Rotherham United on 13 August – and are 19th in the Championship with only 10 points from 11 matches.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity,” Bruce said. “It is one of the big clubs of this country. To be given the opportunity to manage it is terrific. I relish the challenge of trying to take the club where it wants to go and needs to be – and try to turn around the misfortune we seem to have had over the past few years. I am absolutely delighted to have been given the chance. I hope I can do my stuff.”
Bruce spent the best part of six years in charge of Birmingham City in the noughties and will return to St Andrew’s in a little more than two weeks’ time, in what will be his fourth game in charge of Villa, when the two clubs meet in a second city derby that will now have an additional edge.
For the Villa board the fact that Bruce was once the manager of the club’s bitter rivals was never a consideration. Keith Wyness, Villa’s chief executive, spoke about Bruce’s “character, personality and experience”, and Xia hopes those qualities will help to reinvigorate the club.
“With his track record, not only at leading teams to promotion from the Championship but also vast experience in the Premier League, I believe we have secured the services of an excellent manager,” the Villa owner said. “I have had good conversations with Steve and we look forward to working with him.”
