In hindsight, Birmingham City should never have let go of these 3 ex-academy players | OneFootball

The 2023/24 Championship season couldn’t have started any better for Birmingham City and John Eustace.

On the pitch, Eustace has got this Birmingham team playing some very good football, which is also picking up very good results.

Off it, the club has sorted its ownership issues with the arrivals of Tom Wagner and Tom Brady.

As we are now in this international break, Birmingham are sitting in the play-offs after five league games, still unbeaten in the league.

This has been achieved off the back of a hectic summer transfer window, where the club brought in several new players while also seeing players depart.

One of them was Jobe Bellingham, a graduate from their academy, and that got us thinking at FLW about which academy players, in hindsight, the club should never have let go.

3 ex-academy players Birmingham City shouldn’t have sold

With that said, here we have picked three ex-academy players the club has sold, who, in hindsight, probably shouldn’t have done...

Jack Butland

Butland has been around football for a very long time, and it is easy to forget that it all started for him at Birmingham City.

He is another player who came through the youth teams and broke into the first-team picture at an early age.

Butland eventually became the club’s number one keeper, and he went on to play 46 times for the club, keeping 10 clean sheets.

His form for the club caught the eye of teams higher up the leagues, and in 2013, Stoke came calling and bought Butland for what was a low fee back then.

Since leaving the club, Butland has established himself as a very good goalkeeper, playing several Premier League games and earning England call-ups.

But it may be one of those situations where the club wishes they had kept hold of him for a little while longer, while the player wishes he would have played more times for the club.

Jobe Bellingham

As mentioned, Jobe Bellingham is a player who came through the academy at Birmingham City but left the club this summer.

Jobe is the brother of former Birmingham and now Real Madrid player Jude Bellingham. The 17-year-old followed in the footsteps of his brother by working his way through the academy and into the first team.

In September last year, Jobe Bellingham made a real breakthrough in the team, despite featuring before in the FA Cup and the Championship.

Bellingham played 23 times for the Blues last season, but he seemed destined for a move away, as Sunderland were very keen on securing his services.

The Black Cats wrapped up a deal for the midfielder, and when looking back, this is probably one where Birmingham wished they had done more to keep the midfielder at their club.

Nathan Redmond

Many people may have forgotten that Redmond once played for Birmingham, but he not only played but also came through the club’s academy.

He made his way up the club’s youth teams before playing for Birmingham’s first team, but in 2013, he left the Blues to sign for Norwich City.

Redmond played 82 times for the club, scoring nine goals and registering 11 assists. He was a part of the team that won the League Cup and then played in the Europa League the following season.

Redmond was highly rated at the club and was important, as his tricky play made him a constant threat going forward.

In 2013, the club received an offer they couldn’t refuse for the winger, as the club was not in a great financial position. But looking back, he may be one player they wish they could have held off on for a little while longer.