Steve Bruce will contemplate announcing his retirement from management after he was sacked by West Bromwich Albion.
Steve Bruce : How many times has been sacked
Born in Corbridge, Northumberland, he was a promising schoolboy footballer but was rejected by several professional clubs.
He was on the verge of quitting the game altogether when he was offered a trial with Gillingham. Bruce was offered an apprenticeship and went on to play more than 200 games for the club before joining Norwich City in 1984, winning the League Cup in 1985.
In 1987, he moved to Manchester United, with whom he achieved great success, winning twelve trophies including three Premier League titles, three FA Cups, one League Cup and the European Cup Winners’ Cup. He also became the first English player of the 20th century to captain a team to the Double.
Despite his success on the field, he was never selected to play for the England national team. Commentators and contemporaries have described him as one of the best English players of the 1980s and 1990s never to play for his country at full international level.
Bruce began his managerial career with Sheffield United, and spent short periods of time managing Huddersfield Town, Wigan Athletic and Crystal Palace before joining Birmingham City in 2001.
He twice led Birmingham to promotion to the Premier League during his tenure of nearly six years, but resigned in 2007 to begin a second spell as manager of Wigan.
At the end of the 2008–09 season he resigned to take over as manager of Sunderland, a post he held until he was dismissed in November 2011.
How many times has been sacked
This is the sixth time Steve Bruce has left a managerial position in October or November.
Steve Bruce has been sacked as West Brom head coach following a run of just one win in their opening 13 Championship matches this season.
Bruce departs The Hawthorns after just eight months in charge following Saturday’s 0-0 draw at home to Luton.
His only league win this season came at home to Hull City in August, with the team currently in the relegation zone.
Backroom staff Steve Agnew, Stephen Clemence and Alex Bruce have also left The Hawthorns.
U21s coach Richard Beale has been appointed as interim boss and will be assisted by James Morrison and Gary Walsh. West Brom’s next league fixture sees them travel to Reading on Saturday.
West Brom say the process to search for a successor is now under way and an appointment will be confirmed in due course.
Former Birmingham boss Bruce took over at West Brom from Valerien Ismael in February – four months after being sacked by Newcastle, a job he said would likely be his last – and only managed to oversee eight wins in 32 matches.
There were chants of ‘Bruce out’ from West Brom fans at The Hawthorns on Saturday during the 0-0 draw with Luton after Brandon Thomas-Asante and Grady Diangana were taken off.
Bruce insisted after the game that both had knocks before praising the supporters and reiterating his desire to fight for his job.
He said: “I understand the frustrations totally. Whether I am in charge or someone else, there is a difficult road ahead.
“I’ve been going 25 years and it is not great, let’s be brutally honest.
“But I understand, they pay their money and they are entitled to their opinion.