'He is an inspiration': Birmingham City manager Chris Davies has high praise for Newcastle United boss ahead of FA Cup clash

League One outfit Birmingham City host Newcastle United in the FA Cup fourth round on Saturday evening with a 5:45pm kick-off live on BBC One.

After suffering relegation from the Championship last season, Birmingham City are looking to bounce straight back up and are well placed to do so, sitting top of League One with a four-point gap and two games in hand.

Saturday's game against Newcastle United will be a big test for the Blues but there's no shortage of confidence in the midlands and they believe they can give the Premier League side a good test.

Speaking ahead of the match, Birmingham boss Chris Davies was asked about Eddie Howe and was more than complimentary about the Toon gaffer.

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Chris Davies was very complimentary of Eddie Howe

Davies acknowledged that not all managers in the game are as nice and as humble as Eddie, as relayed by Birmingham Mail.

“I’ve come across Eddie when I’ve been assistant manager of teams and I think he’s a top coach,” said Davies. “I think he should have been the first pick to be the next England manager. As an individual, I think the way he conducts and carries himself is excellent as well.

“From my point of view, I always look at the individual and the work they’re doing, but the way they behave as well. He’s a great example, there are some that aren’t like that, but he is. He’s an inspiration.

“Any English manager that has gone on and he’s been in the Champions League, I think he was 30 when he started managing, so he’s had a long career already. He’s a great example to me and many other young British coaches. Hopefully I can make strides to emulate the kind of career that he’s had.”

We love how respected Eddie Howe is in the football world

Hopefully, this isn't just a tactic to butter him up so he lets his guard down and Birmingham nick a shock win.

Eddie Howe was a lot of people's favourite to take the England job, but thankfully, the FA were aware that Howe was locked in at Newcastle with unfinished business to tend to.

We don't want to see Howe going anywhere else for a long time yet. Imagine what he could do with a bulked-up squad if this is where we are with the wafer-thin squad he's got to pick from now.