FORMER Islander Gary Rowett has been sacked by mid-table Championship club Stoke City — eight months into a three-year deal. 

Rowett, 45, who grew up in Cowes on the Isle of Wight, was dismissed by the Potters this morning (Tuesday).

He had signed for the club immediately after being relegated from the Premier League last season.

The Potters were one of the pre-season favourites to win promotion, but sit 14th in the second tier having won just eight of their 26 league games this season.

Isle of Wight County Press:

Gary Rowett, under pressure from Stoke City fans to get the club back in the Premier League at first time of asking.  Photo: Press Association

Rowett, who began his managerial career with Burtion Albion in League Two, was in charge of Stoke for 29 games in all competitions — his last being the 1-1 draw at Shrewsbury Town in the FA Cup on Saturday.

A club statement said Stoke City hope to make an appointment "as swiftly as possible" as they look for their third manager in a year.

Rowett, who left fellow Championship club Derby County for Stoke, had described mounting speculation over his future as 'noise' after the Shrewsbury game.

There has been mounting pressure on Rowett, who was expected to lead the Potters straight back into the top flight with the expensively-assembled squad he inherited from Paul Lambert.

Rowett, on taking the Stoke job, made a pledge to Potters fans Stoke would play in a way that would get them right behind the players.

However, supporters were critical of his style of play and had displayed a 'Rowett out' banner during their 2-0 home defeat to Bristol City on New Year's Day.

Before he took over the reins at Derby County, Rowett had been sacked by home-town club Birmingham City in December 2016.

He led Derby to last season's Championship play-offs final, losing to Fulham.

Rowett, who was famously a paperboy on the Isle of Wight when he was aged 15, delivering the County Press, studied at Cowes High School and played for Gurnard Youth as a teenager.

His dad, Eric, worked at the former Camp Hill site, now HMP Isle of Wight.

Rowett was linked with Stoke in January last year, but he signed a new contract at Derby after the Potters appointed Lambert.