Birmingham City will benefit from the experience of new coaching appointments Andy Watson and Roy Aitken, says manager Alex McLeish.

McLeish stressed: "They are both first-team coaches. There is not an assistant manager and a coach - they are both first-team coaches.

"They bring leadership as well and are people persons. I know that they will get close to the players and that the players will like them.

"The players will understand that they have boundaries but we will try to and make this a club where players want to come."

Aitken, aged 49, a former Celtic stalwart and Scottish international, managed Aberdeen between 1995-97 and assisted at Leeds United, Villa and Scotland.

Watson, aged 48, was a former team-mate of McLeish's at Aberdeen and has coached for him at all his clubs as well as Scotland.