Zola: ‘Caddis welcome to stay and fight for his place’

Paul Caddis has been told that, despite being third in the pecking order, he is welcome to stay at Birmingham City and fight for his place.

Blues manager Gianfranco Zola admitted that Jonathan Spector and Josh Dacres-Cogley are ahead of the Scot in his plans. Zola told the Birmingham Mail – “With Paul we had a very good chat. I told him very clearly I don`t mind if he wants to stay but at the moment two players are in front of him’.

The 28 year-old will always be highly regarded by Blues fans after his stoppage time equaliser at Bolton in 2014 prevented relegation to League One in the most dramatic of circumstances. However, Caddis fell out of favour with Zola’s predecessor Gary Rowett earlier on this season and has been sidelined with an injury since Zola took the reigns.

Caddis is now fit and available for selection but was in the stands watching on as Blues held Newcastle to a draw at St. Andrews in the FA Cup yesterday.

Reports that Caddis has been told he can leave on a free transfer are wide of the mark.