Former Boro coach joins Championship rivals!

Aston Villa boss Steve Bruce has confirmed the club have appointed former Boro boss Steve Agnew as head of coaching.

Agnew has twice been in charge of Middlesbrough as caretaker manager, and was most recently tasked with trying to keep the club away from relegation in the Premier League – something he failed to do.

He was subsequently replaced by Garry Monk who still remains manager of Boro, but his whereabouts were lept relatively quiet.

However Steve Bruce, who worked with Agnew at Hull City, says he is delighted to be able to work with him once more, and hopes he can ‘work a bit of magic’ on the training pitch.

“Colin (Calderwood) is still my assistant but I’ve put Steve as the head of coaching,” explained Bruce to the Birmingham Mail.

“I’ve had a word with Colin and Stephen Clemence in particular and they’re fine with that. They know he’s part of the team going forward and he’s here to help us. I had a great relationship with him at Hull so let’s hope he can work a bit of magic on the training pitch.

“It’s a different voice, it’s different ideas, it’s a different way forward, already we’ve seen a difference in training.

“There’s nothing quite like freshening it up. He’s incorporated Stephen, Colin and myself on the training ground.

“To get somebody like him and with the beauty of having worked with him before, I’ll know what he’ll bring.

“It’s vitally important that all your preparation work is geared to what you do on a Saturday so the more help you can get on the training ground, the better. He’s a wonderfully gifted coach.”