Millwall manager Gary Rowett has insisted that he didn't want to leave Birmingham City in 2016, as he takes his new side to St Andrew's this weekend.

Rowett, 45, spent two years as manager of Birmingham City between 2014 and 2016, taking charge of over 100 games for the club.

He was sacked towards the end of 2016 with new owners coming into the club, and left the club 7th in the Championship - Gianfranco Zola took charge, and won two of the next 24 as the Blues battled relegation at the end of the season.

The pair will meet once again on Saturday when Rowett takes his Millwall side to St Andrew's, as he looks to build on a run of ten points from his first five games in charge.

Speaking to NewsatDen about his time at Birmingham and his sacking, Rowett said:

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“People have spoken about it since and said, ‘he wanted to leave’, but if a manager wants to leave and you have a clause in your contract that says so then you can leave, so I think it’s clear to see that I didn’t want to leave.

“I felt we were building something good. As soon as someone does that to you then your mindset changes and focuses on what you have to do in the future to get success and improve as a manager. It’s as simple as that.

“I loved my time there, I’ve got a lot of fond memories. The fan base are tremendous, one of the best in the Championship. It’s good to go back. I’m sure I’m bound to get a little bit of stick which is a shame but that’s how it goes."

Millwall are the fourth Championship club in five years to appoint Rowett, having been appointed by Derby County several months after leaving Birmingham and then obviously Stoke City, where he spent less than nine months before being sacked in January this year.

“We’ve [his coaching staff] been back three times and have won twice and lost once," said Rowett on his return to St Andrews with Millwall. "It will be a difficult challenge but one we’ll look forward to.

“I think at Stoke where perhaps you haven’t performed to the level people expected and you get sacked you can understand it. We [Birmingham] were three points off third with, I think, the third-lowest budget in the division.

“But I’ve said it before, I’ve no problem because if an owner invests a hell of a lot of money in a football club, it’s a business, they can do whatever they want. They’re entitled to do what they want. I don’t even necessarily blame the owners.”

The verdict

Blues fans should have fond memories of Rowett, and give him a fair reception on Saturday. He's started his tenure at his new club strongly having lost just once in his first five games, and finds the Lions in 12th going into the weekend.

Pep Clotet's Birmingham are 15th going into the game and looking for their first win in four. It'll be another stern test for Rowett's Millwall, and a win at his former club would be a huge achievement.