Liam Manning has left Bristol City to become the new manager of Championship rivals Norwich City.
The 39-year-old guided The Robins to sixth place in his first full season in charge, before they were beaten in the play-offs by Sheffield United.
Norwich finished 13th in the second tier during a disappointing season which saw manager Johannes Hoff Thorup sacked in April.
Ex-Arsenal star Jack Wilshere oversaw the final two matches of the season but was not considered for the permanent job.
Former Wolves boss Gary O’Neil and Jurgen Klopp’s ex-Liverpool assistant Pepijn Lijnders were both shortlisted by the Canaries.
talkSPORT understands Manning was also being considered by Leicester City, who were recently relegated from the Premier League to the Championship.
The Englishman, who grew up in Norfolk, is widely considered one of the brightest young coaches in English football, having guided Bristol City to their highest league finish in 17 years.
Speaking to canaries.co.uk, Manning said: “I’m privileged and honoured to have the opportunity to work for this fantastic football club. It’s a wonderful club with a big history and tradition.
“When I spoke to Ben [Knapper] and the owners about the opportunity here, I was really impressed by their vision and strategy for moving the club forward. I felt a clear alignment in how they want to play and develop players – that is something I was really excited to be a part of.
“It’s clear, there has already been a lot of valuable groundwork laid in recent seasons – it’s now important we build further on that and move the club forward.
“I’m really excited to meet the supporters and will do everything possible to give them a club they can be proud of.”
Sporting director Knapper added: “We’re all thrilled to welcome Liam and his family to Norwich City. This is an exciting appointment, and we are so happy to get it over the line and have him on board.
“It quickly became clear that Liam’s ambitions match our own and we are all committed to driving this club forward towards our targets. Liam knows the league, has consistently demonstrated an ability to outperform resources and his approach aligns with our footballing ideas and strategy.
“He is an exceptionally bright coach who will push himself, and everyone around him, to develop and improve. We are so excited to have him as a key part of our club.”
Bristol City were reluctant to lose Manning after making such good progress in a short space of time.
Chairman Jon Lansdown said: “We are disappointed to lose Liam after such a successful campaign.
“I would like to place on record my thanks to Liam for his hard work and commitment over the past 18 months and the memories we have made together and wish him and his family all the best for the future.
“We are assessing all options as we look to replace Liam.”
Manning managed Belgian side Lommel SK, before returning to England at MK Dons and Oxford United and then getting his big break as Bristol City boss in November 2023.
The new Canaries manager suffered personal tragedy during the 2024/25 season, taking a leave of absence following the death of his recently-born son in October.
Bristol City went on to lose just three of their final 15 matches of the season to finish inside the play-off places.
However, they were ultimately beaten 6-0 on aggregate by Sheffield United in the semi-finals.
