Ex-Aston Villa and Birmingham City manager could make EFL return with intriguing new manager job
The veteran manager could be set for another role in EFL football
Former Aston Villa and Birmingham City boss Steve Bruce has been linked with a shock return to management in a league where has never previously played or managed in before.
The 64-year-old, who is credited with winning four career promotions as a manager, including two with Birmingham in 2001/02 and 2006/07, has been out of work since October when he was sacked from his role as manager of League One outfit Blackpool, but could be in line for a quick return to the dugout after some new developments up north.
Bruce has been in management for more than 26 years since retiring from his career as a footballer in 1999. The iconic central defender, who is best known for being the captain of Manchester United during the early 1990s under Alex Ferguson, also had a brief spell at St Andrew’s as player between 1996 and 1998 and made 72 league appearances for Blues at Championship level where he was amongst the biggest earners at the time.
He’s had a long career in coaching which has seen him manage 1,094 matches in total, including 476 at Premier League level. He’s best known for spells at Birmingham, Hull City, Sunderland and Newcastle United but also had a 32-game stint in charge of West Brom between February and October 2022.
Steve Bruce to Barrow latest
Football Insider claim that struggling League Two club Barrow are considering bringing Bruce to Cumbria, following their decision to sack manager Andy Whing earlier this week.
Barrow have been competing in the League Two since 2020 when they won promotion as National League champions to end a 53-year hiatus from the Football League. They were managed by David Dunn in their first few months in the division after promotion-winning manager Ian Evatt departed for Bolton Wanderers and have also seen the likes of Michael Jolley, Mark Cooper, Phil Brown, Pete Wild, Stephen Clemence and Andy Whing step into the managerial hot-seat in recent years.
The Cumbria outfit have mostly battled to avoid relegation back to the National League, but did flirt with the play-offs when they finished in the top half on two occasions between 2022 and 2024. They finished last season in 16th after a much-improved second half of the season, but are currently winless in six matches and just three points away from the relegation places.
Bruce is regarded as one of the top candidates for the vacancy by most bookmakers, but faces competition from the likes of Neil McDonald, Steve Evans, Mike Williamson, Simon Grayson, David Unsworth and Garry Monk for the role.
Will Steve Bruce return to management?
Bruce told reporters that he was considering retirement from management in 2021 after a challenging end to his tenure at Newcastle United. The 64-year-old led the Magpies to 12th and 13th placed finishes in both of his first two campaigns after replacing Rafael Benitez, but endured a bleak end to his time with the club after failing to win of the opening eight matches in the dugout.
He reversed that decision to join West Brom four months later, but left the role eight months later with the team 22nd in the division, their lowest league position for more than two decades. Bruce announced his decision to retire after exiting the Hawthorns but was again tempted back into the game by Blackpool in September 2024.
Bruce started well at Blackpool and steered the club to a steady ninth place finish after inheriting the role from Steven Critchley, but was unable to build on that success during his first full season as he departed with the club in 23rd position. However, this time around, he’s refused to rule out a return to management.
He told Sky Sports: “I am never going to say never, but I highly doubt it (managing again). Maybe it’s time to go and do other things in life. That (being in a board role) might be the next step. I’d love to stay in it in some capacity. It’s a difficult one. You never know, look at Martin O’Neill!”