The popular midfielder returned to the Blues after five-and-a-half years this week.
Craig Gardner has told Birmingham City’s official website that he only left the club after their relegation in 2011 because promises had been broken by the club, who told him that he had to be sold to raise funds.
Gardner returned to St. Andrew’s five-and-a-half years after his exit in the summer of 2011, when he left the relegated club to join Sunderland.
His departure split Birmingham fans at the time. Some understood Gardner being sold to a Premier League side due to the then-24-year-old’s personal ambition and the club’s financial insecurity.
However, others were not best pleased with their favourite son’s exit as they saw it as abandonment of a team in need.
However, speaking to the club’s official website after signing a deal to complete his return to the Blues, Gardner has moved to clear up the circumstances regarding his 2011 exit.
Gardner revealed: “After relegation I spoke to the club and said I’d like to stay, I wanted to help us back up and the club said they would build the team around me and make me captain. That’s what I was led to believe.
“Literally one or two days later I was told a totally different story that I’ve got to be sold. So, whatever happened in those one or two days I don’t know. I had to be sold – that was made clear – because the club had to raise a certain amount of money in a certain amount of weeks, otherwise it would be big trouble (financially) for them.
“So, what do I do? Do I sit there and the club might be in real trouble or do I move and help the club out that have helped me out and play Premier League football? I know I did an interview at the time on radio and maybe some words came out wrong with me saying I’ve got to look after my family. But, I couldn’t talk at the time about what had happened in that meeting…
“It was the circumstances that meant I had to go or the club would be in trouble. I don’t know if the old owners were bluffing, but I was told we had to get a certain figure in a certain amount of weeks, or the club would be in turmoil.”
Birmingham fans, who appear almost universally delighted to welcome back the 30-year-old, will likely appreciate the insight into Gardner’s reasons for leaving.
The club now has the midfielder back in the fold, and he could make his debut in Saturday’s home clash with Nottingham Forest.
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