Harlee Dean drops hint on his Birmingham City future & responds to Lee Bowyer

Harlee Dean admits he doesn’t expect to play for Birmingham City again after leaving the club for Sheffield Wednesday on loan this month.

Centre half Dean, who captained Blues during his four and a half years at St Andrew’s, fell out of favour under Lee Bowyer at the back end of 2021 and it was made clear that he was free to leave this month - then the opportunity to join Wednesday in the League One promotion race arose.

After signing for the Owls on a loan deal until the end of the season, Dean has revealed that he expects to leave Blues once the summer arrives, despite still having another year left on his current contract.

“I have still got another year at Birmingham, which I don’t think will be seen through. I think that will come to an end in the summer,” Dean told YorkshireLive. “It is an opportunity for me to get teams noticing me. I am not here to play for myself. I am here to hopefully get the club promoted. I am only 30 and I feel great. I have never really had an injury.

“The fire is always there. I know I am lucky to be doing this job. I watch all football. I am probably a bit of a geek to be honest.”

After the recent 2-2 draw with Peterborough, in which Blues battled back from two goals down to level with a quick-fire double in the final five minutes of time, Bowyer suggested that Dean had fallen into a ‘comfort zone’ at the club, having been a regular fixture in the team for a number of seasons.

That was a stance that caught Dean by surprise, and those comments left him rather bemused.

“I read about it, I think after a draw against Peterborough, and it disappointed me if I’m honest. He’s never said that to me personally, so to say it in the press I was a little disappointed,” he admitted. “I was