Birmingham City plans to hire a former Cook friend from Man City

According to information provided, Mike Rigg, the former Man City sporting director, is reportedly Birmingham City’s top priority for the position.

The 53-year-old has been contacted by the Championship team, who is putting together a contract to bring him to St. Andrew’s.

After being hired in October 2022, Rigg is currently the sporting director of Al-Jazira in the United Arab Emirates.

Garry Cook, the CEO of the Blues, is personally leading the effort to close a contract and is anxious to bring Rigg on board the Birmingham coaching team.

Cook and Rigg previously collaborated at Manchester City, where Rigg served as the stadium’s sporting director from 2008 to 2012.

In order to keep its technical director Craig Gardner on staff, Birmingham has set their sights on a new sporting director.

Following a stint on the team’s coaching staff, Gardner was hired by St Andrew’s in June 2021 as the technical director.

However, given the appointment of Wayne Rooney as manager this week, which was first reported by Football Insider a week ago, he might be the next significant change made by the new Birmingham owners.

Despite Birmingham’s position in the Championship standings at sixth place, John Eustace was fired this week by the new Blues owners Shelby Companies Limited.

Eustace was fired, according to the hierarchy, because “his ambitions didn’t align with those of the club’s hierarchy.”

Now that Rooney has been appointed, the Birmingham board wants to follow suit by appointing a new director who will assist in finding players that fit his philosophy and style.