At Birmingham City, Gary Rowett is reunited with his “incredible” right hand man.

Returning to Birmingham City to assist in the final eight games of another challenging Championship season, Gary Rowett has been reunited with Joe Carnall, whom he regards as ‘absolutely incredible’ in his profession. Their collaboration dates back to Rowett’s initial tenure with Blues in late 2014, when Carnall assumed the role of head of performance analysis.

During Rowett’s first stint, Carnall was already in his second spell at Birmingham City, having returned to his previous position after brief stints with Nottingham Forest and Sheffield United. Following Rowett’s departure in December 2016, Carnall continued at Blues before reuniting with Rowett at Derby County in early 2017.

Their partnership persisted as they moved together to Stoke City and subsequently to Millwall in 2019, where Carnall served as the first-team technical coach until the summer of 2022. Carnall then decided to step away from the role due to considerations regarding his young family and the demanding commute between the Midlands and London. Rowett, though perhaps reluctantly, supported Carnall’s decision to depart, reflecting the strong working relationship they shared.

Football’s unpredictable nature became evident when Craig Gardner facilitated Carnall’s return to Birmingham City last year, alongside Frank McParland, as part of the club’s efforts to enhance its recruitment department. Carnall rejoined as the chief scout in February, and now, with Rowett’s return to Blues following his departure from Millwall earlier in the season, the duo finds themselves reunited once again to fill the void left by Tony Mowbray’s absence.

It’s a reunion between the manager and a man he has spoken highly of in the past, and it’s obvious that Blues should value Rowett’s work, even though his time back at the club will be limited and may not necessarily overlap with Carnall’s as he gets ready for the summer transfer window.

After Carnall left Millwall last year, Rowett told the South London Press, “He is someone I’ve trusted for a long, long time.” “We’ve shared an apartment together for the past three years. Charlie is a small kid that he and Soph had a few years ago, and I immediately thought, “This could be tough now,” because he is

“He’s someone I’m going to deeply miss, both as a friend and a valued member of the staff, because he excels in his role. Our synergy and longevity working together speak volumes about his excellence. I could entrust him with a task, and he would execute it exactly as I envisioned.

During the three months when I was between jobs after leaving Stoke, Joe and I collaborated extensively on our playing principles and tactical strategies. We delved into questions like whether to adopt a back five formation and how our training sessions should reflect that. We’ve spent countless hours together refining these aspects. He used to be my running partner, pushing me to improve my fitness. Now, you’ll likely find me, a forlorn figure, jogging the streets alone.

While Joe’s background lies in analysis, he has adeptly expanded into tactical work, contributing significantly to the principles we’ve developed at the club. Sometimes, personal reasons necessitate changes, and one must respect that. Despite our physical distance, I’ll maintain close contact with him. There might be opportunities for remote collaboration, but Joe is the kind of person who commits fully to any task he undertakes.”