Birmingham City fans will have heard the news through the clubs official distribution channels that Demarai Gray has been called up for the England Under 21’s squad.
It is the first time that the 19 year old has been selected to represent his country at this level and for me it is a massive credit to the work that manager Gary Rowett is doing with the youngster.
Despite probably not hitting the form he would like so far this season, with only one goal to his name so far, Gray has had some fantastic performances as of yet, and there is still plenty more to come.
Blues fans, and many fans across the football league, know exactly what the teenager is about and if he can transfer the intelligence that he already has going into what is arguably his biggest set of games in his career so far, then what’s to say it won’t benefit Blues and Rowett.
The former Burton Albion boss has said all along how important he believes it is for Gray to stay with the club, and after hammering him down to a new deal in the summer, Rowett went on record again this month to say how much more he feels Gray can achieve if he stays with the Blues.
Arguably Gray will most likely go on to play in the Premier League, whether that is with Birmingham City, or another club, we just do not know, but he will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of Nathan Redmond who was an academy product just like himself.
Redmond is now playing regularly for England Under 21’s and is also a key part of Norwich City’s set up in the top tier of English football.
No doubt about it that Gray will get there one day but there is still plenty of work left to be done, most notably on his end product but the fact that Blues have been able to push him on to the next stage is just simply fantastic.
It has to be put on record how well Gary Rowett has done with the youngster and if those two can continue to form a bond, then what’s to stop Gray entering the first team England squad.
At present, one Sky Bet Championship player is represented in the first team squad and that is Burnley ‘keeper Tom Heaton, but could we see Gray added to that select few in the near future? Who knows!
For me, the work that Gary Rowett is doing with the whole squad, not just Gray, is a credit to his man management, as he has also overseen international call ups for Jacques Maghoma and Clayton Donaldson this month as well.
Blues fans, do you agree that international call ups from the Blues squad are a credit to the work that Gary Rowett is putting in? Let us know in the comment section down below!
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