Richard Beale has been confirmed as Birmingham City's reserve team manager after holding the role on a caretaker basis since the summer.

Beale, 31, succeeds Malky Thomson who left the club to join David O'Leary's coaching staff at Al Ahly.

The Solihull-born coach has been part of the Blues academy for several seasons and holds a Uefa A licence.

"He's impressed me whenever he's come to work with us over the last couple of years," said Blues boss Alex McLeish.

"He's been a good footballer himself and he's got a good idea how the game should be played and a philosophy that's akin to our own coaches," he told the club's website.

There are a lot of quality guys I could have brought in, but Richard Beale is ambitious Alex McLeish

Beale's playing career began as an apprentice at Port Vale before moving on to Solihull Borough, Redditch and Stafford Rangers.

In his time working in the Blues academy he has helped with the development of Jordon Mutch, Nathan Redmond and Akwasi Asante progressing all three to the fringe of the first-team squad.

"My aim is to try and take the role on a step and hopefully bring on as many young players for Birmingham as we can," Beale stressed.

"We've now got three or four boys who can hold their own to augment the first-team squad."

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