Oxford United have appointed former Birmingham City and Millwall boss Gary Rowett as their new boss in a fresh bid to avoid relegation from the Championship.

Liam Manning's former side announced the departure of Des Buckingham on Sunday afternoon, with the 39-year-old sacked having won just four of his opening 20 matches in the second tier following Saturday afternoon's defeat to Sheffield Wednesday.

Now Rowett, whose last job saw him take charge of Birmingham City on an interim basis at the end of last season has been tasked with steering the U's away from the Championship drop zone, with Oxford currently sitting 20th in the table, just one point clear of 22nd placed Portsmouth.

READ MORE: Marti Cifuentes lauds 'excellent' Bristol City player after what he did vs QPR at Ashton Gate

READ MORE: Bristol City risk becoming nearly team as Robins left scratching their head after QPR draw

The 50-year-old has a wealth of Championship experience under his belt and while he was unable to help Blues avoid the drop into League One last season, he impressed during his time in charge of Millwall and in his initial spell at St Andrew's where he was surprisingly replaced by Gianfranco Zola despite mounting a serious challenge for the play-off places.

On top of that, Rowett has taken charge of Burton Albion, Stoke City and Derby County having carved out a successful playing career in the EFL earlier in his career.

Although Bristol City and Oxford United haven't met very often on the field, plenty of players and coaches have made the switch to Ashton Gate from the Kassam Stadium. Manning and assistant coach Chris Hogg made the jump to the Robins midway through last season while Marcus McGuane, Mark Sykes, Rob Dickie and Rob Atkinson have all played for both clubs.

Discussing the appointment Oxford chairman Grant Ferguson said: "Following a thorough and diligent recruitment process, I am delighted that Gary Rowett has agreed to join us as head coach.

“It was immediately clear from the discussions we had with him that Gary perfectly matched the vision and long-term objectives that we have for the club.

“Every decision taken is with the best interests of Oxford United in mind and we are confident that Gary will be instrumental in fulfilling our ambitions this season and beyond.

“We look forward to working alongside and supporting Gary to help us achieve our goals.”

Rowett's first game as manager of the U's will see his side travel to Elland Road to face Leeds United on Saturday afternoon, with crucial games against Cardiff City, Plymouth Argyle and Millwall to come over the festive period.

Having already beaten Oxford 2-1 at Ashton Gate earlier this season, City won't face Rowett's side at the Kassam Stadium until February 1 when Manning will return to his old stomping ground for the first time since departing last November.

READ MORE: As Bristol City's scoring struggles continue, one player could offer an alternative solution

READ MORE: Bristol City injury list and return dates as Liam Manning looks for festive reinforcements