(Credit: Getty Images, One Inch Productions)
Mon 21 July 2025 16:15, UK
Jude Bellingham has sent a message to a new Birmingham City player after they made their long-awaited second debut for the club ahead of the new Championship season.
Bellingham emerged through the ranks at his boyhood club at just 16-years-old back in 2019, and he bagged on his home debut for the club to become their youngest goal-scorer in Birmingham’s history.
He has emerged as one of the best midfielders and players in the world over the last few years, after a move to Borussia Dortmund in 2020 and then another to Real Madrid in 2023, but still keeps close ties with his boyhood club after Bellingham recently reacted to a Birmingham transfer announcement.
Blues have just been promoted to the Championship after a record-breaking season in League One, and they are aiming to challenge for the play-offs next term with a potential return to the Premier League on the horizon soon.
Chris Davies’ side have made some major moves already this summer, with Kyogo Furuhashi brought in from Rennes, Tommy Doyle captured on loan from Wolves and England Under-21 keeper James Beadle signed on loan from Brighton, and a new player’s debut has now been met with some reaction from Bellingham.
Photo by Guillermo Martinez/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesDemarai Gray makes his second Birmingham debut in pre-season
Birmingham are clearly serious about mounting another promotion challenge in the new season, and they have also re-signed former player Demarai Gray [Birmingham] this summer from Al-Ettifaq, after Football Insider had revealed in June that Blues were closing in on signing the Jamaican international winger.
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Gray appeared off the bench for his second Blues debut in their pre-season game against Burton Albion on Saturday (19 July), and he took to Instagram on Sunday (20 July) to share a number of pictures, some of which included him back playing for his boyhood club.
Bellingham shared a similar path to Gray, after initially appearing for Birmingham then making the step up to other clubs, and he reacted to his post by replying: “10” with a face exhaling emoji to show his approval at the 29-year-old donning that number on his return to St. Andrews.
Birmingham’s transfer business could make them Championship promotion contenders
Football Insider verdict
Birmingham spent big to get out of League One last summer, with Jay Stansfield signed for a league record fee and the likes of Willum Willumsson and Christoph Klarer also brought in for substantial figures for a third-tier side.
Their plan to automatically return to the Championship clearly worked to great affect, and now that they are back in the second-tier, it does not look as if they are planning on slowing down anytime soon.
Bringing a player of Gray’s quality into the fold cannot be seen as anything other than a quality signing at this early stage, given his wealth of experience as a Premier League winner and the fact he knows the club inside out from his first spell there between 2006 and 2016.
Gray’s Premier League career stats
Birmingham have also signed Fenerbahce star Bright Osayi-Samuel in the last few weeks, and Football Insider recently revealed that Blues are set to move to sign Jamie Vardy, so they are clearly planning for another crack at promotion in 2025/26.
Whether boss Davies will be able to create a strong enough squad to truly challenge the automatic promotion places remains to be seen, but with a number of top players through the door and more seemingly on their way, the club certainly look well-placed to have another successful campaign.
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