Ask the vast majority of football fans to list the ten biggest English clubs and Birmingham are unlikely to make many appearances. Ask them to list another dozen and the Blues might just sneak in. However, their newly-appointed captain believes that his team belong in the top-half of the top flight, despite them travelling to Doncaster and Barnsley this season.

Lee Carsley may be coming towards the twilight of his career, but the Birmingham Mail reveal that he’s lost none of the ambition which helped Everton finish 5th in the Premier League last season. The question is, can he and his Blues team-mates storm the division or will they find it tough going?

“I have grown up 10 minutes from the ground, I know what it means to the people of Birmingham.

“It’s very much a passionate club, the fans are about the Blues.

“I think a many of them aren’t happy that a club of this size is in the Championship, it belongs in the Premier League.

“It belongs in the top-half of the Premier League.

“Definitely, it would be the sweetest moment for me.

“One of the things me and the manager spoke about when we sat down to sign was that I want to win the Championship, I want to win some medals, I want to get promoted and stabilise the club in the Premier League. That’s what I am thinking about.”

Many might argue that Birmingham are an ‘in-betweener’ of a club, oscillating between the two top divisions, perhaps not good enough for one and slightly too good for the other. If last season shows us anything, it’s to expect the unexpected next term, although surely Alex McLeish’s team will be good for at least a top six finish?

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