‘It has not been easy’ – Ex-Birmingham City man speaks out following summer exit | OneFootball

Mikel San Jose has spoken out following his Birmingham City exit.

The Spaniard completed his move to St Andrews last summer after failing to secure a new contract with Athletic Bilbao after 11 years with the club.

Despite a slow start to his career, the midfielder quickly became a first team regular under Aitor Karanka after proving himself as a virtual ever-present for the Blues until mid-February.

Unfortunately for him, the appointment of Lee Bowyer seemed to change things for him.

San Jose was limited to just four cameo appearances in the final 14 matches of the season, suggesting that he may not be in the plans of the former Charlton boss.

That was then confirmed when Birmingham announced that he would be moving on at the end of his one-year deal, bringing an end to a spell that San Jose admitted ‘has not been easy’.

Taking to Twitter, he said: “I can only thank the Birmingham City family for this opportunity to experience the Championship.

“It has not been easy but it was beautiful.

“It’s a shame I didn’t get to enjoy St Andrews fully as a player but I hope I’ll be there soon as a fan. Ones blues forever blues.”

The big Birmingham City quiz: Can you get 20/20?

The verdict

I think that this was right decision.

While Mikel San Jose has played a decent amount of games this term it’s clear that he wasn’t going to be in Lee Bowyer’s plans.

The Blues need a fresh start and that includes offloading surplus players – a category that the Spaniard certainly falls into.

The hope now is that the 31-year-old can find a club where he can settle and show his true qualities.