Pennant Played Fair With Blues

I never know how to feel when players leave Birmingham City. On the one hand I’ve said all along with the Liverpool and Jermaine Pennant links that not many players, at any club, turn down a move to Anfield, on the other hand, I love Blues and expect the players to do the same. Totally naive I know.

Pennant said last week:

‘I still have two years left on my contract and Birmingham have said nothing to me about whether they want to let me go or they have agreed anything with another club. And Liverpool haven’t contacted me, so that’s it.

‘I am taking every day as it comes as a Birmingham player. All the speculation and stuff doesn’t bother me. If no-one actually says anything to me, then I ignore it.

‘Like I said, I’m still here and I’m looking forward to the start of the season. No-one likes to get relegated. And we shouldn’t have gone down, everyone knows that.’

So to be fair, he has never caused trouble, didn’t ask for a transfer and said he was happy to stay at Blues. So the quotes since his departure, I think, can be taken at face value. The club are the ones who agreed the price and let him talk to Liverpool, and although it isn’t the nicest thing to hear from a departing Bluenose, at least he seems to have played fair with us.

Pennant said, following his departure:
‘I had a great time in my 18 months at Birmingham City and everybody, including the fans, were absolutely fantastic to me. I will always be grateful to Steve and the rest of the coaching staff.’

‘The opportunity to play for the club I supported as a boy in Europe is a wonderful opportunity for me and too good to turn down. But I wish Birmingham the best of luck and hopefully I will have the opportunity to play for them sooner rather than later in the Premiership, because that is where they deserve to be.’