Gary Rowett: Birmingham City in talks with Burton Albion boss

Birmingham City have been given permission by Burton Albion to talk to manager Gary Rowett about replacing sacked Blues boss Lee Clark.

Malcolm Crosby and Richard Beale were in joint caretaker charge for Tuesday's 1-0 defeat at Blackburn following Clark's abrupt departure on Monday.

Blues are keen to have a new manager installed in time for the local derby with Wolves at Molineux on 1 November.

Other reported candidates for the role include Mike Phelan and Owen Coyle.

Former Manchester United assistant manager Phelan and Owen Coyle, sacked by Wigan Athletic in December 2013, are out of work and available.

BBC Radio 5 live's Pat Murphy
"I understand that Gary Rowett is keen to talk to Birmingham City and will be interviewed for the vacant job after his club Burton Albion were approached to ask permission to speak to him."It appears there are no contractual issues of compensation, which was the stumbling block when Blues asked MK Dons for permission to speak to their manager Karl Robinson."There will be no appointment this week. The recruitment process, sounding out relevant candidates, then formal interviews, will go into next week."

"I understand that Gary Rowett is keen to talk to Birmingham City and will be interviewed for the vacant job after his club Burton Albion were approached to ask permission to speak to him."It appears there are no contractual issues of compensation, which was the stumbling block when Blues asked MK Dons for permission to speak to their manager Karl Robinson."There will be no appointment this week. The recruitment process, sounding out relevant candidates, then formal interviews, will go into next week."

MK Dons manager Karl Robinson was also approached by the Championship side, while Swindon Town manager Mark Cooper, like Rowett a former City player, and son of former Blues boss Terry Cooper, is another to have been linked with the post.

Bromsgrove-born Rowett, 40, spent two years at Birmingham as a player under Trevor Francis between 1998 and 2000.

After finishing his playing career at Burton in 2007, he returned to the Pirelli Stadium as assistant to Paul Peschisolido in 2009.

After the Canadian was sacked in March 2012, Rowett initially became caretaker boss before being appointed on a permanent basis at the end of the season.

He has led Burton to the League Two play-offs in each of the last two seasons, losing in last term's final to Fleetwood Town in May, and again has the Brewers well placed in second position this time around, despite losing at home to Morecambe at the weekend.

Speaking before Tuesday night's 4-3 win at Carlisle, Rowett told BBC Radio Derby: "First and foremost, it's a compliment to everyone at the club that we're doing things, for the third season in a row, quite well. A little bit of success is always going to bring speculation."