Former Birmingham City midfielder handed first managerial job at Macclesfield

Former Birmingham City midfielder Neil Danns has been handed his first permanent managerial role in the game. The 40-year-old has been handed the Macclesfield job on a deal until the end of the season.

He will be assisted by ex-Blues man Mark Duffy at the Leasing.com Stadium as the pair look to help the Silkmen gain another promotion as they climb back up to the Football League. The Cheshire side are currently top of the Northern Premier League.

Danns played for Birmingham from 2006 to 2008 and helped the Midlands outfit get to the Premier League during his time at the club. He made 39 appearances in all competitions during his time at St Andrews and chipped in with three goals.

He has also played for the likes of Blackburn Rovers, Colchester United, Crystal Palace, Leicester City, Bolton Wanderers and Tranmere Rovers in the past and has played over 650 games. The Guyana international is now looking to make a name for himself in the managerial world.

Former Birmingham midfielder Robbie Savage, who is the director of football at Macclesfield these days, has said: “In some respects this was a difficult decision to make – as with things going so well, the question in the back of my mind was why change things? But having seen the player’s application and incredible desire to fight for Neil and Mark over recent weeks – that told me that this move was the right one.

“We all wanted Neil and Mark to get the job on a permanent basis – but we had to make sure that this was right for all parties first. For me, one of the most important things is that the players are visibly giving everything they have got for this Club and they are doing it with smiles on their faces.”

The Silkmen have a few former Football League players playing for them at the moment like Nicky Maynard, Luke Murphy and James Berry. Zeki Fryers and Alex Bruce have also featured in the past.