Former Birmingham City, Spurs, Leicester City & Sheffield Wednesday figure lands first managerial role

A former Birmingham City midfielder has landed his first permanent role in football management.

Ex-Blues star Stephen Clemence, who was at St Andrew's from 2003 to 2007, has been appointed as the new head coach of Gillingham. The League Two outfit had been on the lookout for a replacement for Neil Harris after parting company with the former Cardiff City boss last month, and have guided to give Clemence his first permanent taste of management.

He inherits a side currently ninth in League Two, and are just a point off the play-offs. Clemence's first game in charge is an FA Cup first-round tie against Hereford on Saturday, November 4 at 3.00 pm.

The 45-year-old made 135 appearances for Birmingham over four-and-a-half seasons after joining from Spurs in the winter transfer window of the 2002/03 season. He was part of the Birmingham side which finished runners-up in the 2006/07 season under Steve Bruce, who is said to have helped Gillingham with their search for a new boss.

Clement departed for Leicester City, and so didn't rejoin the Blues after helping them win promotion but was limited to 34 appearances across the three-years he was contracted at the King Power Arena.

He retired from playing in 2010, and joined the coaching staff at Sunderland when Bruce was appointed, and later followed him to Hull City, Aston Villa, Sheffield Wednesday, Newcastle United and West Brom. Clemence had a caretaker spell in charge at Hillsborough until a successor was found, and then once again he went to Newcastle United, before his last role which was assistant manager to Bruce at The Hawthorn's.

In other news, recently sacked Birmingham City boss John Eustace has been ruled out of two vacant Championship jobs. Bristol City and Millwall are both on the lookout for a head coach and manager respectively, but reports from Bristol say that it is ‘unlikely’ that Eustace will be in consideration for the Ashton Gate hot seat.

South London based Millwall meanwhile have Nathan Jones under strong consideration, but England under-20 manager Joe Edwards is also a contender. Reports emerged on Wednesday however that Derby County have ‘set their sights’ on the 43-year-old should they part ways with Paul Warne.