Aston Villa: Kevin Bond named first-team coach

Kevin Bond worked in the Premier League under Harry Redknapp at Portsmouth, Tottenham and QPR

Aston Villa have appointed former Tottenham and QPR first-team coach Kevin Bond to work alongside new manager Roberto di Matteo.

Bond, 58, joins the Italian, announced as boss on 2 June, while ex-West Brom and Reading boss Steve Clarke, 52, is also part of the backroom team.

Villa were relegated from the Premier League in April, finishing with just 17 points from their 38 games.

Chinese businessman Dr Tony Xia agreed to buy Villa for £60m in May.

Bond was reserve team coach under Harry Redknapp at Portsmouth, before following him to Southampton to work as coach in 2004.

The pair returned to Fratton Park a year later. Bond then joined Redknapp at Tottenham in 2008 and QPR in 2012.

Clarke, who was sacked as Reading boss in December 2015, previously managed West Midlands rivals West Brom.

Italian Massimo Battara is the club's new goalkeeping coach, while compatriot Massimiliano Marchesi has been appointed fitness coach.

Battara has experience at Napoli, Fiorentina, Inter Milan and Manchester City and worked with Di Matteo at Bundesliga side Schalke.

He replaces previous goalkeeping coach Tony Parks, who has left the club, having been brought in by previous Villa boss Tim Sherwood in February 2015.

Marchesi's most recent job was at Italian giants Inter, having worked in the Middle East for 10 years.