Former Celtic boss walks away from manager post but pledges return to work

A former Celtic player and manager has walked away from his most recent post. Tony Mowbray has decided to leave Birmingham City after a short spell in charge that saw him fail to rescue the club from relegation, though much of the damage was done before he arrived in January.

Mowbray was also forced to take a break from the role just weeks after arriving due to a medical issue, returning around a month later. Birmingham actually enjoyed a strong start to the season, but they decided to sack John Eustace for Wayne Rooney, who took the Midlands club from playoff contention to relegation contenders. They ultimately suffered relegation on the final day of the season.

As preparations begin for League One, former Celtic man Mowbray has decided to move on due to medical issues, explaining in a statement: “As people will be aware, I am currently undertaking a period of extended convalescence following significant and unexpected surgery earlier in the year which required that I take a period of medical absence.

“Throughout this period, I have watched every Birmingham City game along with every training session, whilst I have remained in positive and constructive dialogue with Tom Wagner, Garry Cook and Craig Gardner. Over the very recent days, it has become apparent to me that I will not be fully fit to resume my duties as Manager of Birmingham City in the timescale that would allow the Club to best prepare for the forthcoming season and therefore, I have regrettably decided to step away from my role at this time.

“Once I have fully recovered, it is important to me that I then spend some quality time with my wife and my boys before I fully commit to work. I am extremely grateful to Tom Wagner for the genuine warmth that he has shown towards me during what has been a challenging time, not only for me personally but also for the Club. I firmly believe that under Tom’s stewardship coupled with the football expertise that Garry offers, Birmingham City have a very bright future ahead.

“I would like to thank everybody associated with the Club who has supported me during these unprecedented times, and I would like to especially thank the Birmingham City supporters for your affection, your kindness, and your support in the relatively short period of time I have been with the Club. Whilst I step down as Manager of Birmingham City, I now become a Blues fan and I wish everybody at the Club nothing but absolute success in the future. Once I have fully recovered and have spent some quality time with my family, I intend to make a return to football management at the appropriate moment. I hope that the privacy of my family and I will be respected at this time. Thank you for your ongoing support, Tony.”

Birmingham City Owner and Chairman Tom Wagner added in a club statement: “We are disappointed that Tony will not be coming back to lead the team forward but respect his decision to put his health and his family first. In a short period of time at Blues Tony demonstrated excellent leadership skills and a work ethic that galvanised all around him. He is an outstanding human being and will always be welcome at St. Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park.”