Birmingham City have boasted some top players over the years, but what would the Blues’ XI look like now had they managed to keep some of their best former stars at St Andrew’s?
Players have gone on to achieve great success following their spells in the Second City over recent seasons. Yet success has alluded the Blues since they fell out of the Premier League, with Birmingham spending 11 years striving for promotion back out of the Championship.
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Promotion has continually remained out of Birmingham’s reach, while play-off football has not featured on their schedule since 2011/12. The Blues lost in the semi-finals in their first attempt at securing a top-flight return, with 10th-place the best they have since managed.
Lee Bowyer will hope he can be the coach to guide the Blues back into the Premier League next season. Meanwhile, stars who once adorned the Birmingham jersey will have eyes on titles. So, here is a potential Birmingham XI had the Blues kept some of their best players…
Joe Hart (GK): Former Birmingham star now title-winner with Celtic
Joe Hart made a name for himself whilst on loan from Manchester City with Birmingham in the 2009/10 season. The goalkeeper had already made 50 Premier League appearances for the Citizens before moving to St Andrew’s. But he highlighted his potential with the Blues.
The Shrewsbury-born stopper kept 10 clean sheets in 36 games, as Birmingham ended the season in ninth-place. Hart would then return to Manchester City, where he won the top-flight title in 2011/12 and 2013/14. He also lifted the FA Cup in 2011 and two EFL Cups.
Hart remained with the Citizens to 2018 and joining Burnley following loan spells to Torino and West Ham. He later joined Tottenham in 2020 then Celtic in 2021 for £1m, with whom the former Birmingham player won the Premiership and Scottish League Cup this season.
Dion Sanderson (RB): QPR loanee now heading back to Wolves
Right-back is arguably one position that Birmingham have struggled to find a future star in. Plenty have attempted to lock down the role, such as Wes Harding (now with Rotherham), Carl Jenkinson (now at Melbourne City) and Jan Valery (back at parent club Southampton).
Dion Sanderson could arguably stake his claim for the position were the Wolves defender still with Birmingham. The 22-year-old spent the first-half of the 2021/22 season on loan at St Andrew’s and was a key part of Bowyer’s central pairing, but has also featured out wide.
Wolves elected to recall Sanderson in January, before the 6 ft 2 enforcer returned to the Championship on loan with Queens Park Rangers. He would make 12 appearances with QPR, following his 16 outings with Birmingham across all competitions, without scoring.
Kyle Bartley (CB): Former Birmingham loanee now with West Brom
Kyle Bartley spent the first half of the 2013/14 term on loan at Birmingham from Swansea City. The centre-half was often a key member of the Blues’ backline, too, with 17 outings in the Championship for three goals. He also scored twice across two EFL Cup appearances.
The 31-year-old had already added Arsenal, Sheffield United and Rangers to his CV before featuring at St Andrew’s. While he would go on to add Leeds United before joining West Brom in 2018, where he remains today. Bartley has also played 75 career top-flight games.
Dan Burn (CB): Former Birmingham defender now a star with Newcastle
Dan Burn only spent the first half of the 2013/14 campaign on loan with Birmingham from Fulham. But during that period, the centre-half held a crucial role with 28 appearances, 24 of which came in the Championship from 24 games, starting 27 and playing 2,482 minutes.
His career went on to feature Wigan Athletic plus Brighton & Hove Albion, before sealing a £13m transfer to Newcastle United this January. There, the 30-year-old held a crucial role in the Toon’s improvement with a towering presence, sweeping away danger relentlessly.
Amari’i Bell (LB): Former Birmingham player now with Luton
Luton Town saw what Amari’i Bell can offer this season as the left-back helped the Hatters to reach the play-offs. The 28-year-old moved to Kenilworth Road last year after leaving Blackburn Rovers, and would feature in 41 regular season and two post-season matches.
Birmingham seldom witnessed what the five-cap Jamaica international could achieve while at St Andrew’s. Bell only managed one game in the Championship against Leicester City in January 2014 during his three years on the books in the Second City up to his exit in 2015.
Demarai Gray (RM): Birmingham product now a star with Everton
Demarai Gray began his career in the Birmingham academy after leaving Cadbury Athletic in 2006. The winger would make his senior debut with the Blues in 2013, and went on to play in 78 first-team fixtures before joining Leicester in a £3.75m transfer in January 2016.
He remained with the Foxes until January 2021 and joining Bayer Leverkusen after falling out of favour. Yet Gray only lasted a season in Germany before a £1.7m move to Everton, where the former Birmingham player dazzled with dynamic runs and his attacking intent.
Jude Bellingham (CM): Birmingham product now an £85m Borussia Dortmund ace
Jude Bellingham’s stock has skyrocketed every week since the midfielder left Birmingham for Borussia Dortmund in 2020 for an initial £25m. The 18-year-old had already set some records with the Blues, too, as the club’s youngest-ever player and youngest goalscorer.
He has since added a DFB-Pokal winners’ medal in 2020/21 to his record, has 12-caps with England and has scored 10 and created 18 goals over 90 appearances with BVB. The Blues product had scored four and created two over 44 senior appearances while at St Andrew’s.
Now, his displays for Borussia Dortmund have Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp personally keen on Bellingham’s transfer, according to Bild. But BVB want well in excess of €100m (£85m) to sell the Stourbridge-born wonderkid, who has also featured on Real Madrid’s radar.
Jesse Lingard (CM): Former loanee has now decided to leave Manchester United
Jesse Lingard joined Manchester United in his youth back in 2000 but will bring the curtain down on his Red Devils association this June. The Guardian report he has decided to leave Old Trafford when his contract ends as he feels disrespected by a lack of games this term.
Over his more than two decades with Manchester United, the 32-cap England maestro has enjoyed loan spells with Leicester, Birmingham, Brighton, Derby County and West Ham. He played 13 times for the Blues over the first half of 2013/14, scoring six and creating three.
Lingard enjoyed a successful spell with West Ham in the second half of 2020/21, too, with nine goals and five assists in 16 games. But he returned to Manchester United to play just 548 minutes – 355 in the Premier League – this season and started just four of 22 games.
Now, Lingard could return to West Ham when his Manchester United contract expires this summer. The Daily Mail report David Moyes has made the midfielder an offer to join the Hammers in a permanent transfer, eager to show the 29-year-old his desire to reunite.
Nathan Redmond (LM): Birmingham product now with Southampton
Nathan Redmond joined Birmingham in his youth back in 2002 and rose through the ranks to make his senior debut in 2010. The forward would go on to amass 82 appearances in all competitions before joining Norwich City in 2013, up to him joining Southampton in 2016.
The 28-year-old is now in the last year of his Saints contract following 231 appearances for the south coast side. Redmond made 32 of his outings this season, with 27 in the Premier League. He also offered three of his 30 career Southampton goals and six of his 27 assists.
Che Adams (ST): Former Birmingham player now with Southampton
Che Adams came through the non-league route with Oadby Town and Ilkeston before he joined Sheffield United in 2014. Two years with the Blades featuring 15 goals in 55 games convinced Birmingham to sign the striker, who would hit 38 over 123 outings for the Blues.
Southampton then swooped for a £15m deal in 2019, but struggled to see the best of the 25-year-old in his debut season. Adams only scored four goals in 35 games, but improved to nine in 42 in year two before striking eight over 33 this season across all competitions.
Chris Wood (ST): Newcastle triggered £25m clause for former Birmingham star
Chris Wood has 12 clubs on his CV now after Newcastle triggered a £25m release clause in the forward’s contract with Burnley in January. The Magpies raided Turf Moor to deprive a potential relegation-rival after losing Callum Wilson to injury and needing attacking depth.
The New Zealander did not offer many goals at St James’ Park, but led the line as the Toon moved up the table. He offered just two in 16 games – including a penalty – unlike his 11 in 29 games with Birmingham while on loan from West Brom for the first half of 2011/12.
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