Former Aston Villa, Doncaster Rovers and Shrewsbury Town star lands new manager's job

Former Aston Villa midfielder John McGrath has been appointed as the new first-team manager of Buxton.

The 44-year-old has decided to depart Mickleover after eight years at Don Amott Arena, and taken the reins of Buxton, who are in the Northern Premier League Premier Division, the seventh tier of English football. Buxton, also based in Derbyshire have plans to go full-time, and McGrath has already got his feet under the table by assembling his own coaching staff and identifying transfer targets.

McGrath should have an extensive contacts book after starting his career at Aston Villa. He was at the club from 1999 to 2003 and made three appearances under John Gregory. The five-time Republic of Ireland under-21 inernational will have shared the pitch at the same time as the likes of Gareth Barry, Gareth Southgate, David James and Dion Dublin.

To progress his playing career he joined Doncaster Rovers and had a two-year stint there before playing for Kidderminster Harriers, Limerick, Weymouth and Tamworth. McGrath's playing career was mainly spent playing for Burton Albion, racking up over 200 appearances at the Pirelli Stadium from 2007 to 2013, and then returned to the non-league scene.

In an interview with the Buxton Advertiser, he said: "Buxton play a good style of football and have a very supportive chairman, and with them playing in the league above where I’ve just come from and also being about to go full-time, it’s something I’m really looking forward to getting my teeth into.

"It was a massive attraction to go full-time and be supported by a chairman and board that want success."