TONY Mowbray has been appointed the new head coach of Blackburn Rovers, a position with which Swindon Town director of football Tim Sherwood had been linked.

The former Coventry City boss, who managed West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League, has signed an 18-month contract at Ewood Park, putting an end to speculation linking Sherwood with a departure from the County Ground.

The 48-year-old former Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa chief captained Rovers to the Premier League title in the 1994-95 season and worked with Rovers’ recently-appointed director of football operations Paul Senior at Spurs.

Despite a battling display against Manchester United in the fifth round of the FA Cup on Sunday – Blackburn were beaten 2-1 – the Lancashire outfit parted company with Owen Coyle yesterday and have moved quickly to secure his successor.