Burton Albion have confirmed the appointment of experienced boss Gary Bowyer as their new manager.

The former Blackburn Rovers stalwart takes over the Brewers languishing second from bottom in League One- nine points adrift from safety.

Knocked out of the FA Cup to non-league rivals Tamworth, the East Midlands side sacked new boss Mark Robinson within two months of his arrival.

Bowyer won promotion from League Two with Blackpool and has also taken charge of Bradford City and Salford City in recent years.

Most recently, he won the Scottish Championship with Dundee in 2023 and won Manager of the Year.

Bowyer told the club website: "It is a privilege to be given this opportunity at Burton Albion. This role has great appeal to me and I am excited at the prospect of what can be achieved here alongside ambitious owners in Nordic Football Group.

"We know there is a lot of work to do right now but I am excited by this challenge. I am looking forward to getting started now and working with the players to ensure we can achieve a strong second half to the season. We will demand that they give everything for the shirt to try and get us moving away from the bottom of the table and we know that is exactly what our supporters will want to see from this team too.”

Deputy Chairman Tom Davidson said: "We were seeking a Head Coach who could make an immediate impact, to give us the best possible chance to improve our current league position and we believe, in Gary, that we have the ideal person with the capability to do this.

"He has vast experience of coaching across the EFL and we feel he is the right type of coach and personality to take our Men's team forward, as well as having a deep understanding of youth football, something that is important to us as we continue to look to develop our own talent."

"It was vital that we evaluated and took learnings from the past few months as we look to build the strongest and most sustainable Burton Albion in the future. Although we appreciate it may have felt frustrating for some, it was important we did not rush the Head Coach search to ensure the process was robust and thorough. We are extremely pleased with the outcome we have reached and now we are looking to continue building out our sporting structure with Gary’s input to benefit the Men’s first team further.

"Stability is crucial now and we also recognise that our sporting strategy must be more adaptable to the demands of this division if we are to thrive. That is all being considered with the decisions we are making, including ahead of the January transfer window. Gary will be crucial to this and everything we are seeking to deliver for the Men's First Team, and we are looking forward to working with him."

Reading beat the Brewers 3-1 earlier in the season and don't head to the Pirelli Stadium until January 28.