Gary Rowett offered to quit as Burton boss early on in his managerial career – and is now being eyed by Premier League clubs
Birmingham City boss lost his first two games when he took over at old club Burton - but was talked out of it by Brewers chairman Ben Robinson and hasn't looked back since
GARY ROWETT has revealed how he offered to quit as Burton boss early on in his managerial career - but was talked out of it by chairman Ben Robinson.
Birmingham chief Rowett, currently in a rich vein of form, cut his teeth as a manager at Albion - and faces his old club at the Pirelli on Friday.
The 42-year-old suffered a horror start as caretaker of the Brewers, losing his first two games 1-0 and 4-0 - after which he suggested he could walk away.
Rowett told SkyBet: "I said to the chairman: ‘look, Ben, if you feel like the club needs to go down a different way, I’ll support you, you’ve got to do what you think’s right'.
“I didn’t want him to give me more of a chance because I’d been there and he trusted me.
“And actually at that point when I look back, I shouldn’t have done that. I should have said, ‘I can do it’ but maybe that was part of the process.
“I actually gave him the opportunity at that point almost to say ‘look, if you feel someone can do a better job’ but I’m bloody glad he didn’t, if you excuse my French!
"I’m glad he didn’t take me up on the offer, because I wouldn’t be sat here. But that’s the type of club it is - they really trust managers."
Rowett, who was succeeded by Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink when he quit Burton for Blues in 2014, has flourished since that ropey start and looks set to be a Premier League star boss of the future.
He has been impressed with his old club’s amazing rise - and says it is “incredible” that he is going back to a side he left in League Two just two years ago.
The former Derby defender also revealed how he considered bringing Brewers midfielder John Mousinho with him to St Andrew’s - but opted against it out of respect for his former club.