Grant spent just a season in charge of Norwich City

Birmingham City have appointed former Norwich manager Peter Grant as their first-team coach.

Grant, who played more than 350 games for Celtic, held similar positions with the Bhoys and West Brom, and was also assistant to Alan Pardew at West Ham.

Blues boss Alex McLeish said: "He is a competitive man who has been brought up in a winner's environment due to the traditions of Celtic.

"He has successfully made the transition into becoming a coach."

Grant fills the role vacated by Roy Aitken, who joined up with David O'Leary at United Arab Emirates outfit Al Ahli this week.

His personality is akin to that of the man we have just lost, Roy Aitken, and that will be a great asset to us Alex McLeish on Peter Grant

The former Celtic, Norwich, Reading, Bournemouth and Scotland midfielder brings with him a wealth of experience.

He left his player-coach post with Bournemouth in 2004 to become Pardew's number two at West Ham and the pair guided the Hammers to the FA Cup final in 2006.

Grant spent 12 months as Norwich boss in 2006/7, before becoming first-team coach at West Brom in summer 2008 under the Tony Mowbray.

He followed his former Celtic team-mate back to Glasgow last summer for an ill-fated stint back at Parkhead, which ended in their dismissals in March.

"I've known Peter for a long time. He was an adversary of mine in my Aberdeen playing days, when he was a stalwart for Celtic," added McLeish.

"His personality is akin to that of the man we have just lost, Roy Aitken, and that will be a great asset to us."

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