Sources: Birmingham City academy chief Paul Williams hands in resignation
Birmingham City academy director Paul Williams has handed in his resignation, Football Insider can exclusively reveal.
The 51-year-old wants out of the Championship club as Laurence Bassini works on finalising his £38million takeover.
A Birmingham source has told Football Insider that Williams resigned last week.
The former Nottingham Forest manager and experienced coach was only appointed in August 2021 in succession to Mike Dodds.
It is the latest development in what has been a tumultuous period at the Midlands outfit.
This comes amid intense speculation over the future of embattled manager Lee Bowyer.
Birmingham had their academy downgraded to Category Two after losing an appeal to the Professional Game Board in May this year.
They are the first club to have had Category One status forcibly removed, although others have voluntarily given up the title.
The youth setup has produced the likes of England and Borussia Dortmund superstar Jude Bellingham as well as current first-teamers Jordan Jones, Connal Trueman, Nico Gordon and Odin Bailey.
Williams holds a Uefa Pro Licence and has worked with England at various age group levels, including as manager of the Under-18s.
In addition to his experience in the dugout with Forest, the 51-year-old has also had spells as caretaker boss with the national team's Under-20 side.
Williams has also been an assistant at Brentford, Swansea City and Sheffield Wednesday.
A centre-back in his playing days, he turned out for Derby County, Coventry City, Southampton and Stoke City in a 15-year career.