Blues boss Paul Lambert has wished former U23s joint-manager Chris Hogg the best of luck with his new club Newcastle United.

Hogg, 34, joined the Magpies as their U23s coach earlier this week having been with the Town academy as a coach since 2013, after a previous spell as a young player with the Blues, although without making a senior appearance.

“Hoggy’s done well. I think he’s got a good way about him, a good guy gone on to pastures new,” Lambert said.

“I think he’s been here a number of years now and I’m pretty sure he’s from that way, from the North East [he was born in Middlesbrough], so he’s going back home and those sorts of things. A Premier League team as well, so good luck to him with his career.”

Lambert says the academy is about developing young coaches as well as players, although he’s not keen for too many to move on.

“Yes, but you don’t just want to become that all the time, you don’t want to be somebody else’s breeding ground,” he said.

“So, it’s okay to an extent, but there’s got to be a point where the club says 'No, you can’t move'.”

Asked about his first-team coach Matt Gill, Lambert joked: “I don’t like him! I don’t like the guy. He’s just killing time!

“No, as I said before, Gilly has been great. I tell you what, I’ve worked with unbelievable players and played with great players, and I always say when I released Gilly from Norwich, it was the hardest one I’ve ever done.

“If I could have given someone a ten-year contract just for being around a place or banter or patter, it would have been him.

“Honestly, it was really, really tough and I wouldn’t want to go through that again because I absolutely detested letting him go just because his personality and I think what he is doing here, he’s got a big career in front of him.”

Photo: TWTD

Suffolkboy added 12:16 - Feb 21 Good to see PL is very confident : perhaps Mr G can induce improvement in both actually scoring , accuracy of shooting and the general level of confidence around the opposition goal !– and SOON . COYB
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Carberry added 12:30 - Feb 21 Clearly didn't get to know Hogg very well, all a bit vague. And banter just isn't enough is it PR Paul.
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JewellintheTown added 12:43 - Feb 21 Not sure I've ever heard Lambert talk about working "... with unbelievable players and played with great players" before. Has anyone asked him how his career was in Germany yet? Did he win anything?
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Carberry added 16:06 - Feb 21 I'd be interested to hear that too, Jewell.
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