New Birmingham City manager Aitor Karanka says he had been waiting for the right job, 18 months after leaving Nottingham Forest.
Karanka faced the media at St Andrew’s on Friday afternoon for the first time as he embarks on his first job since departing the City Ground in January 2019.
In joining the Blues, the Spaniard takes on a club that have fallen foul of the EFL’s FFP rules, and struggled against relegation in recent times, but that has not deterred the ex-Forest chief.
“I trust myself and I trust the person who called me (chief executive Dong Ren). If I go it’s because I haven’t done my job properly,” said Karanka.
“We have the same aim and we know each other better every day.
"If you’re coming to a place where you think you can get success in two or three months I would have stayed at home.
"I’m full of confidence and energy.
“Since the first conversation I knew my time at home had finished. Dong demonstrated his passion, I felt I was waiting for that passion.
“After 18 months I knew I should choose the right job.”
Karanka also revealed he had spoken to friend and former colleague Jose Mourinho, after accepting the Blues’ job to replace Pep Clotet.
“He called me to give me his congratulations when I arrived here,” he said.
“When he was at Chelsea we took on loan good players (at Middlesbrough), let’s see if he has some good players who can come.”
