Former Leeds United, West Brom and Watford man lands coaching role with Birmingham City

The 45-year-old spent six years as a player at St. Andrew's before hanging up his boots and starting his coaching career with the club. He has now returned to work his former Blues boss Gary Rowett, who has been appointed as Birmingham’s interim manager.

Rowett has been recruited to take on the temporary role while Tony Mowbray takes medical leave until the start of the 2024/25 pre-season. He has returned having previously led the Blues between 2014 and 2016.

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Robinson played under Rowett at Birmingham and the pair were reunited as coaches at Millwall, when Rowett took the former defender with him to The Den.

A tough-tackling defender in his playing days, Robinson accumulated over 500 appearances across spells with Watford, West Bromwich Albion and Bolton Wanderers before arriving in Yorkshire in 2012.

He joined Leeds on loan from Bolton, making 10 appearances for the club during the reign of Neil Warnock. He did not see out the 2011/12 campaign at Elland Road, instead returning to Bolton when Warnock admitted it was unlikely he would be signed permanently.

A statement issued by Birmingham confirming his return read: “Birmingham City can confirm two additions to Gary Rowett's staff. The interim manager for the eight remaining games of the 2023/24 Sky Bet Championship season will be joined by Paul Robinson and Dave Carolan.

“Both assisted Rowett at Millwall and previously worked at Blues, whilst Robinson represented the Club for the final six years of a 736-game professional career that started with his hometown team Watford and also took him to West Bromwich Albion, Bolton Wanderers and Leeds United.

“Upon his retirement in 2018, the former Club Captain assumed a sequence of roles working with the under-23s and under-18s across two seasons, later being appointed to the role of First Team Coach at the Den.

“Carolan, who possesses more than 25 years of experience working in the elite game, operated in the sports science arena with Ipswich Town, Norwich City, Colchester United and Blues, later taking on performance-based positions at Derby County, Stoke City and the Lions. Each of his three most recent roles has been to support Rowett. Welcome back, Robbo and Dave!”