Bowyer delivered survival 'miracle' at Burton

Gary Bowyer has overseen nine wins and eight draws from his 26 games in charge of Burton

Gary Bowyer has been described as a miracle worker who "sprinkled belief" after taking Burton Albion from the depths of relegation danger to League One safety.

When the 53-year-old took charge of the east Staffordshire side in December, they were one place and one point off the foot of the table.

He came in as a permanent replacement for Mark Robinson, who became the club's shortest-serving manager when sacked in October after failing to win any of his 11 league games in charge.

Three defeats and two draws from Bowyer's first five matches had Burton rock bottom and 11 points from safety on 4 January with just 14 points from 24 games.

It was not until they travelled to Wigan three weeks later that former Dundee and Blackburn boss Bowyer oversaw his first win.

And it was against that same side on Tuesday at a euphoric Pirelli Stadium that Burton confirmed their place in League One for next season with a draw.

Burton deputy chairman Tom Davidson said the turnaround Bowyer had overseen was "nothing short of a miracle".

And defender Udoka Godwin-Malife said his boss "had to take credit for what he had done".

"Let's have it outright, he came into a club that had no belief at the time," Godwin-Malife told BBC Radio Derby.

"And he has just turned it around and sprinkled that belief on everyone. I can't thank him and the backroom staff enough."

Burton have become League One relegation escapologists in recent years, with Bowyer the latest boss to bring them back from the brink of tumbling into League Two.

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink returned for a second spell at Burton to keep them up in the 2020-21 season, Dino Maamria replaced the Dutchman to do the same two years later and it was only on the final day last term that Martin Paterson managed ensure they stayed put.

Centre-back Ryan Sweeney has now been part of two successful relegation battles with the Brewers and summed up the latest attempt as "unbelievable".

"There is no beating around the bush, we were on our knees when they came in," Sweeney said.

"To have this moment is incredible."

Chairman Davidson, who heads the Nordic Football Group (NFG) that took control of Burton last summer, was "super grateful" to see the club stay in the division after what has been a chastening first year.

The Swedish-based group - which is made up of an eclectic consortium of more than 18 backers that includes H&M chairman Karl Johan Persson, at least two other billionaires, and NHL ice hockey stars Erik Karlsson and Mats Zuccarello - oversaw British-record levels of change at the Brewers when they bought the club from long-time owner Ben Robinson.

Twenty-three players were signed last summer, the most any British side had recruited in a single transfer window, while 24 were moved on.

A emphasis was put on youth, high potential and the capacity to entertain under handpicked head coach Robinson, who left his job as Chelsea development squad manager for the League One role.

But the woeful start to the season and his dismissal was not what NFG envisioned their foray into English football would immediately produce.

And so, to the experienced Bowyer they turned.

With him, also came another recruitment drive with former Iceland striker Jon Dadi Bodvarsson the highest profile of the new arrivals.

The former Wolves, Millwall and Bolton forward has come up with important strikes, but Rumarn Burrell - one of the summer recruits - has scored all of his 11 goals since January to spearhead the great escape.

The latest one he netted was the goal that ensured Burton's place in the third tier.

While Bowyer has had praise heaped on him, he has been keen to deflect the complements.

"It's just incredible, with such a young group, to do what they have done," he said.

"It we had taken it to the last second of the last game, we would have taken that from when we first came in.

"To have done it now with a game to go, incredible."