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Struggling League Two side Forest Green Rovers have appointed Steve Cotterill as their manager.

The 59-year-old replaces Troy Deeney, who was sacked on 18 January after six games in charge.

Cotterill takes over with the club rooted to the bottom of League Two and facing a battle to preserve their English Football League status.

The Gloucestershire club have not won in their past 12 league games and are six points from safety.

Cotterill has a wealth of experience across the EFL and most recently managed Shrewsbury Town for two and a half years, leaving in June last year.

He spent five years at hometown club Cheltenham Town early in his managerial career, taking them from the Southern League to the Football League for the first time in 1999.

Cotterill also won promotion with Notts County and led Bristol City to the League One and EFL Trophy double in 2015.

His other former clubs include Stoke, Burnley, Portsmouth and Nottingham Forest.

"I'm delighted to welcome Steve Cotterill to FGR. His record speaks for itself with 25 years of experience in all leagues of the EFL, spanning nearly 900 games," said owner Dale Vince.

"Steve knows what it takes and shares our determination to avoid relegation this season. Then build our way back up to League One and looking upward again.

"I'm sure our fans will welcome this appointment and Steve to our club."

Cotterill will take charge of training on Thursday and is expected to be in the dugout for their game against Accrington Stanley.

He becomes Forest Green's sixth manager since June 2022, following Rob Edwards, Ian Burchnall, Duncan Ferguson, David Horseman and Deeney.

Following Deeney's departure, Vince said the club were looking for "experience" in their next boss, after appointing a string of managers who had never managed in the EFL before.

Forest Green have failed to create any stability ever since winning promotion to League One for the first time in 2022 under Edwards, who subsequently left for Watford.

They struggled throughout the campaign in the third tier and were instantly relegated back to League Two.

But the slide has not stopped, with Forest Green winning just four league games so far this season to leave them facing a potential return to the National League.