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Gary Rowett wants to turn Birmingham City into football factory

Birmingham manager Gary Rowett before the match (Reuters)
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Birmingham manager Rowett has stated that he wants the club to become a football factory for great young talent.

Birmingham manager Gary Rowett before the match

Birmingham City manager Gary Rowett has said that he wants the Midlands side to emulate Leicester City and produce a wealth of great young talent, as reported by the Birmingham Mail.

The Blues have been doing great things both in their first team and in the youth system, with Rowett overseeing a positive change of the guard at the club.

They are currently in the midst of a push for promotion and given the talent they have at their disposal, it would not be surprising to see them accomplish that goal.

Throughout his time at St. Andrew’s the 42-year-old has given opportunities to a number of talented youngsters including Demarai Gray, Viv Solomon-Otabor, Reece Brown and Josh Dacres-Cogley.

Birmingham City manager Gary Rowett

Now, he wants to step it up a level.

He said, via the Birmingham Mail: “I still believe our Under-23s, if we do it properly, not only should it provide players for the first team squad, it should also provide players that at some point we can sell for money as a sound football business.

“That is something I have looked at, Leicester did it really well two or three years ago in the Championship.

Birmingham's Demarai Gray in action with Aston Villa's Jordan Amavi

“They would sell players for 50 grand, they would sell players for 100 grand and it just keeps recycling that business side of the club. That’s also something we will always look at when we recruit players at that level.”

There will likely be some young prospects on display when Birmingham return to league action against Nottingham Forest.

It is certainly something to think about for the young manager, especially considering how strenuous a 46-game campaign in the Championship can be, in addition to cup fixtures.

He will need to ensure that he manages his resources and squad well this season if the Blues are serious about their top-six ambitions.

General view of St Andrews stadium