'Grizzly Bear' Steve Bruce will help Aston Villa fight

According to many who have worked with him during almost two decades in the dugout, the 55-year-old's reputation at previous clubs has been that of a grizzly bear. It's one in which Bruce has clearly taken some pride, with a poster of the animal adorning his office during a career which, since 1998, has taken in almost 800 games, with spells at clubs including Birmingham City, Wigan and Sunderland.

Then again, it has always been a nickname delivered with a certain level of affection. Ultimately, it is Bruce's ability to alter and refine his character to whatever the situation suits which makes former colleagues believe he can be a success at Villa.

"That's was always the thing which impressed me most about Steve, the way you saw his approach develop," says Nigel Spink, Villa's European Cup-winning goalkeeper, who spent more than a decade getting a close up view of Bruce's work as part of his coaching staff.

"He could blow hot and cold – but in a good way. There was always an air about him, whether it would be with players or staff.

"He was prepared to have a laugh and a joke but there was an edge to him. He could be that grizzly bear. Back in the early days at Birmingham he could lose it sometimes in the dressing room after a bad performance.

"Over time, you saw how it used to happen less and less. He learned how to use it for effect, every now and again, to get the best out of the players."

Born in Corbridge, Northumberland, Bruce showed grit typical of his north-east roots during a playing career which began at Third Division Gillingham before eventually reaching Manchester United, where he played an integral part in Alex Ferguson's resurrection of the Red Devils.

His rise through the ranks in management took less time but was more circuitous. Bruce was at the helm of four clubs in the space of three years before finding a long-term home at Birmingham City and St Andrew's.

Success was swift, with Blues achieving a long-desired yet long-elusive promotion back to the top flight of English football through the play-offs in 2002. Better followed in a first Premier League delivering a 13th placed finish and two famous derby wins over Villa.

For the next two campaigns, Blues were a solid mid-table outfit in the top flight and though their fourth season ended in relegation, Bruce was able to mastermind an immediate return before differences with incoming owner Carson Yeung saw him depart for Wigan Athletic.

Two years at the DW Stadium saw him achieve a club-record best ninth-placed finish in the top flight and though a spell at Sunderland was less successful, Bruce earned two promotions after moving down the east coast to Hull City.

"Whatever happens at Villa, Steve will be able to look back on a really successful career in management," says Spink. Still, it could be argued turning around Villa's fortunes is his toughest assignment yet. Over the past 20 months, the club have burned through managers almost as quickly as they have won football matches and Roberto Di Matteo's dismissal after just 12 games in charge is indication owner Tony Xia will settle for nothing less than quick results.

"If nothing else, I think that says a lot about Steve," continues Spink. "He has seen what's happened to other managers there but has the belief he will be able to go in and make a difference after just ten games.

"It just shows the faith he has in his ability to turn things around. For me, he is the ideal candidate."

Bruce will have a limited time to work with his new players, with Villa facing a derby game against Wolves on Saturday.

Spink added: "Having a derby first up isn't ideal. It is going to be fascinating to see how he does. He's taking over the team in a difficult position and confidence is low but I think you will see things start to change quite quickly.

"If Villa can start to put a few results together and climb the table it will put them in a good position before January when I'm sure Steve will be keen to bring a few more players in."