Former Wales international Robbie Savage has been managing non-league side Macclesfield Forest Green Rovers have appointed former Wales midfielder Robbie Savage as their new manager, afterSteve Cotterill was sackedlast week. Savage, who played for Leicester, Derby, Blackburn and Birmingham among others during his career, has been managing non-league side Macclesfield FC since 2024. Cotterill's departure from the National League club was confirmed on Thursday, after the side missed out on promotion through the play-offs last season. "I feel I have an opportunity to develop a squad to create an attacking brand of football - an aggressive form of football to try and get Forest Green back into the EFL," Savage said in a club statement. "I want a fast, exciting style but the most important thing is to win games." Forest Green finished third in the National League last season but were beaten by seventh-placed Southend in the play-offs on penalties, to miss out on a place in the Wembley final. Savage links up with former Wales team-mate Mark Bowen at the Bolt New Lawn, who was appointedForest Green's director of footballlast month. They have not disclosed the length of his contract. His son, Charlie Savage, also had a spell on loan at Forest Green during the second half of the 2023-24 campaign, scoring one goal in 15 games. The appointment is the 50-year-old's first in management in the top five tiers of English football. However, last season he wonpromotion to the National League Northwith Macclesfield - where he has had anassociation since 2020- during his first campaign in charge, with the club clinching the Northern Premier League Premier Division title with six games to spare. Savage said at the time it would take "an awful lot" for him to leave for another club. AMacclesfield statement,externalsaid the departure of Savage was "disappointing" but that he leaves with "our very best wishes and eternal gratitude for everything that he has done for our football club". Savage won the first of his 39 caps for Wales in 1995 after beginning his playing career at Manchester United, although he failed to break into the first team at Old Trafford. He went on to play more than 600 games across the EFL and Premier League in a 17-year career, which began at Crewe, before he signed for Leicester in 1997, where he played more than 200 games and won the League Cup. He played for Birmingham before joining Blackburn in a deal worth £3m in 2005 and ended his career at Derby in 2011. Aged 45, Savage made a brief one-game comeback for non-league outfit Stockport Town in 2019 but has predominantly been working as a media pundit. Savage becomes Forest Green's seventh manager since 2022, following Rob Edwards, Ian Burchnall, Duncan Ferguson, David Horseman, Troy Deeney and Cotterill.
Savage appointed Forest Green manager
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"Robbie Savage Appointed Manager of Forest Green Rovers"
Bbc News
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TruthLens AI Summary
Robbie Savage, the former Wales international footballer, has been appointed as the new manager of Forest Green Rovers following the dismissal of Steve Cotterill. Savage, who has a rich playing history with clubs such as Leicester City, Derby County, Blackburn Rovers, and Birmingham City, has been managing Macclesfield FC since 2024. His appointment comes after Forest Green's disappointing end to the previous season, where they finished third in the National League but lost in the play-offs to Southend United, missing out on a place in the final at Wembley. In a club statement, Savage expressed his ambition to develop an aggressive and attacking style of football, aiming to secure promotion back to the English Football League (EFL). He emphasized the importance of winning games while also wanting to entertain fans with a fast-paced approach to the game.
Savage's managerial experience includes a successful stint with Macclesfield FC, where he led the team to promotion to the National League North, winning the Northern Premier League Premier Division title with six games to spare. He has a personal connection to Forest Green, as his son, Charlie Savage, had a loan spell at the club, contributing one goal in 15 appearances. This role marks Savage's first managerial position in the top five tiers of English football, and he will be working alongside former teammate Mark Bowen, who recently became the club's director of football. The club has not disclosed the length of Savage's contract, but his hiring highlights the ongoing instability in the managerial position at Forest Green, as he becomes the seventh manager since 2022. Macclesfield FC acknowledged his departure with disappointment but expressed gratitude for his contributions to the club during his tenure.
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