Manchester United man returns to Birmingham City fanfare as Juninho Bacuna reveals 'hard' Rangers choice

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Juninho Bacuna believes his Rangers career ended because he was not given a chance once the manager who signed him left Ibrox.

The talented midfielder has started the last three games since signing for Birmingham City - a stark contrast to the end of his time with Rangers.

Indeed Bacuna suggested his fate with the Scottish champions seemed to nosedive the minute Steven Gerrard left the club.

After joining from Huddersfield the Curacao international played nine times in Gerrard’s final two months, scoring his first goal on November 7 in the 4-2 win over Ross County.

Four days later Gerrard had joined Aston Villa and a week later Giovanni van Bronckhorst was installed as his replacement.

After that Bacuna made just one start in December and January, in the Scottish Cup, leaving him with a choice to make.

Speaking after Blues’ 3-1 defeat at Bournemouth the 24-year-old said: “The first half of the season was a bit hard for myself. I had to get fit, played a few games and then the new manager came in, I didn’t really have a chance to play. That was hard for me.

“I don’t see it [Rangers career] as a missed opportunity. I went there with great hopes to play games."

Tahith Chong is back at Wast Hills and training with Birmingham City.

The Manchester United loanee is nearing the end of his rehabilitation from surgery to his thigh and has returned to Blues to ready himself for a return to Championship action.

Chong was the keystone of Lee Bowyer’ s team in the first part of the season before his picked up a freak injury in training.

That has kept him sidelined since the end of October - but he is probably only a couple of weeks from wearing the Royal Blue