Ian Culverhouse and Gary Karsa have joined Paul Lambert at Bodymoor Heath in their respective roles as assistant manager and head of football operations as the Villa first team players report back for pre-season training.

Culverhouse and Karsa have worked with Lambert for the past six years in spells at Wycombe, Colchester and Norwich and officially take up their roles in the new Villa manager's backroom team as of today.

"It's great for them to be here at the club and I'm delighted they have joined me," Lambert said.

"They have been with me for the past six years which is a long time and we've built up an understanding and a trust. I trust them and they have been great for me.

"We have always bounced well off each other and we're all looking forward to the job at hand here at Villa."

Culverhouse played at right back for Tottenham, Norwich, Swindon, Kingstonian and Brighton, spending 10 years at Carrow Road and playing 369 games for the Canaries.

He began his coaching career with Brighton in early 2000, serving first as reserve team manager before moving to Barnet where he first worked alongside Karsa as youth team manager in the summer of 2000.

Following Barnet's relegation he joined Leyton Orient as a youth coach and was promoted to assistant manager.

He then moved to Wycombe Wanderers as youth team coach in 2005.

He began working with Lambert at Wycombe in 2006, becoming assistant manager at Adams Park in 2007 and retaining that role under Lambert's management of Colchester and Norwich.

Karsa took up his first coaching job at Enfield in 1998 where he was appointed football and community officer.

He moved to a similar role with Barnet where he worked with Culverhouse before joining Charlton Athletic as head of academy recruitment.

He was reunited with Culverhouse at Leyton Orient before he joined Wycombe Wanderers in 2006 in a youth role.

He has continued to work with Lambert and Culverhouse as football operations manager at Colchester and Norwich.

Click here to check out Lambert talking about Culverhouse/Karsa on AVTV.