Birmingham City have a squad brimming with talent that is ready to take on the Championship.
After smashing the League One points record tally, Birmingham have already made some marquee additions.
Demarai Gray returned to the Blues a decade on from when he left for Leicester City and former Celtic talisman Kyogo Furuhashi has reunited with Chris Davies.
Tom Wagner wants back-to-back promotions for Birmingham this season and although he has supplied Davies with all the tools, one manager’s favourite could hold the key to success.
Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty ImagesBirmingham expert name-checks Keshi Anderson as key man
Keshi Anderson must have been shocked himself to see how much he played in League One last season compared to his experiences the year before.
Anderson was a pivotal member of the squad as the Blues romped to the title, scoring nine times in all competitions.
Some even felt he was unfortunate to not be named as the player of the season but Birmingham Mail reporter Brian Dick believes he will still be called upon as a regular – despite the new signings.
He wrote: “The point Davies always makes when discussing Anderson is how reliable he is. Davies noticed that Anderson played in Blues’ meaningful end-of-season games in 2024 and that told him more than any highlights package could.
“There wasn’t much doubt that Anderson could thrive in League One, it was the way in which he matched the level of the stars around him that caught the eye.
“Davies believes Anderson can go again and there is a train of thought that he is a more rounded, more durable athlete now.”
Keshi Anderson could have left Birmingham City in 2024
The winger has had to work extremely hard to earn the trust of Davies after failing to impress any of his predecessors.
After earning a contract following a trial, injury ravaged himm and he didn’t play a single minute under Wayne Rooney.
Photo by MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
His time under Tony Mowbray also saw game time reduced and he even came close to leaving in January 2024.
How silly would that have been on reflection?
The player himself has even admitted to being confident, saying: “A few of the boys banter me about having a bit of an ego but self confidence is important. There’s never a moment in my football career where I doubt myself.”
If anyone can believe they’ll keep Gray out of the side, it’s Anderson.