By Christian Smith 

Birmingham City have appointed Harry Redknapp as its new manager.

Redknapp, the former Hammers, Tottenham and QPR boss whose appointed was made following the resignation of Gianfranco Zola, will initially lead the team in the next three match it has before the end of this season.

The 70-year-old who will be assisted by former Bristol City boss Steve Cotterill, said: “I got a phone call last night at 7pm from the people at Birmingham.

“I drove to London and had a 10-15-minute meeting with them and said: ‘I’ll come and do it.’

“My wife said to me ‘are you mad or what?’ but I get fed up sitting around doing nothing.”