Steve Cotterill appointed as new Shrewsbury Town manager

Steve Cotterill's last match as a League One manager ended in an 8-2 win against Walsall during his time with Bristol City

Shrewsbury Town have appointed Steve Cotterill as their new manager.

The 56-year-old has agreed a three-and-a-half-year deal with the League One side, who sacked manager Sam Ricketts on Wednesday.

Shrewsbury are the ninth English club Cotterill has taken charge of, having been without a club since being sacked by Birmingham City in March 2018.

The Shropshire side, who are on an eight-game winless league run, are one point above bottom side Wigan Athletic.

Cotterill led Bristol City to a League One/EFL Trophy double in 2015, having previously won the League Two title with Notts County in 2010.

He also took Cheltenham Town from the Southern League into the Football League for the first time in 1999. And he has also had spells in charge of Stoke City, Burnley, Portsmouth and Nottingham Forest, as well as serving as number two to Howard Wilkinson at Sunderland and also twice under Harry Redknapp, first at QPR, and then initially at Birmingham too.

"Steve brings a wealth of managerial experience with around 700 games to date," Shrewsbury chief executive Brian Caldwell told the club website.

"He has had a lot of success during his managerial career including five promotions, an EFL Trophy win, and three Manager of the Year Awards.

"It has been a whirlwind 48 hours but, with matches coming thick and fast, we felt it was vitally important to appoint as quickly as possible."

Shrewsbury's only league win this season was on 17 October when they were 1-0 victors at AFC Wimbledon after a last-minute Leon Clarke goal, since when a four-game losing streak has been followed by three draws in four League One matches.

Those results have seen the club, who finished 15th last season and secured an FA Cup fourth-round replay with then world and European champions Liverpool, drift to four points from safety and a point ahead of financially-troubled Wigan.

Analysis

BBC Radio Shropshire's James Bond

Steve Cotterill has the experience that Sam Ricketts did not - 700 games as a manager with the likes of Birmingham, Bristol City, Nottingham Forest and Portsmouth and with several promotions to his name.

Now 56, he arrives at Shrewsbury with a job to do - get them clear of the League One relegation zone.

He has met the players, and his enthusiasm for what he wants to do was clear for all to see.

He will watch the side in FA Cup action first, at home to non-league Oxford City on Sunday, and then it's straight down to the nitty gritty with a League One game against Accrington three days later, when Shropshire's placement in the middle coronavirus tier means some Town fans will be allowed back into the ground to see their new manager in person.