Cotterill is new Bristol City manager

Last updated : 03 December 2013 By Tony Scholes

Cotterill, who was manager of Burnley from June 2004 until November 2007, has been out of work since he was fired by the new Nottingham Forest owners in the summer of last year. They claimed they wanted an iconic manager and subsequently appointed Sean O'Driscoll.

The O'Driscoll and Cotterill links are long standing. O'Driscoll was the physio at Bournemouth when Cotterill ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament, an injury that eventually called time on his playing career.

The two then worked together at Forest with O'Driscoll as Cotterill's assistant. O'Driscoll left for Crawley before returning to replace Cotterill and now it is the reverse story as Cotterill has replaced O'Driscoll at Ashton Gate.

Bristol City will be the seventh Football League club Cotterill has managed. Prior to his arrival at Turf Moor he'd been manager at both Cheltenham and Stoke and since his departure he's been in charge at Notts County, Portsmouth and Forest.

He's signed a three and a half year contract with vice-chairman Jon Lansdown saying: "I am delighted Steve has decided to join Bristol City Football Club.

"I believe he has the drive, energy and ability to get us back to winning ways. He is passionate about bringing success to this club and I am looking forward to working with him to achieve that."

We've had a few days of managerial departures but his appointment is the second in League One today with Crawley having confirmed former Aston Villa, Derby and QPR boss John Gregory as their new manager.