Hughton ready to get to work

Former Newcastle United boss Chris Hughton has told of his delight at returning to management with Birmingham City.

Hughton has been hired at St Andrews as a replacement for Alex McLeish, who controversially walked out on the Championship club to join Midlands rivals Aston Villa.

The 52-year-old led the Magpies to the top-flight in his first attempt, but was harshly sacked in December, a decision that was sharply criticised by players and supporters alike.

Now, Hughton is looking forward to building new relationships with the staff, squad and supporters at Birmingham, and said he is relishing the challenges ahead.

“I am absolutely delighted,” Hughton said. “To be joining a club of the stature of Birmingham City, with the history it has, is a pleasure. I’m really looking forward to getting to work.”

“For as long as I have been in football the name Birmingham City has been right up there and it is what I regard as a real football club with extremely passionate supporters.”

“There are certain grounds that you go to where you know you are going to be right up against it because of that passion and how vocal the fans are.”

“St Andrews has always been one of them and if you speak to most people in football they will say the same.”

Birmingham were relegated under McLeish at the end of the 2010/11 season, and Hughton is keen to begin plotting their way back to the English Premier League immediately.

“We are going into an extremely competitive Championship and with the players set to return for pre-season training very soon I need to get into the job straight away,” he said.

“I’m really relishing the opportunity to do exactly that and to meet everyone at the club.”