Birmingham City share significant update involving three players

Birmingham City have confirmed that they have triggered options that will see Josh Andrews, Odin Bailey and Ryan Stirk extend their stay at St. Andrew’s.

All three have come through the ranks at Blues and they played a part in the team that reached the FA Youth Cup back in 2018.

Whilst making that step up to play for the first-team has proven to be tough, they have all spent time out on loan as they look to continue their development.

Andrews is currently in League Two with Rochdale, after previously featuring for Harrogate, with winger Bailey, who memorably scored a late winner for Blues against Middlesbrough a few years ago, now with Livingston in the Scottish top-flight.

Meanwhile, Stirk has played regularly for Nigel Clough’s Mansfield side that are looking to win promotion from League Two in the coming weeks.

With all making decent progress, Blues revealed this evening that they had taken up the option on all three players who will now be tied to the club until the summer of 2023.

The verdict

This is a very sensible move from Birmingham as the three players have shown out on loan this season that they are good players, and it’s important to remember that they are still very young.

Playing regular football will have done wonders for their development and it will then be down to Lee Bowyer and the staff to assess them in the summer.

Whether they are ready to be part of the first-team squad next season remains to be seen, but even if another loan is required, it’s still right that Blues are giving them extended deals.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.

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