Birmingham City struck gold with Birmingham-born ace that snubbed Everton for St Andrew's | OneFootball

Birmingham City managed to sign this local midfielder from Everton, in a move which proved to be a great acquisition.

When Lee Carsley signed for Birmingham City in 2008, it was more than just a transfer; it was a homecoming.

A Birmingham-born midfielder with years of Premier League experience, Carsley had just completed a solid six-year spell at Everton when he made the decision to join his hometown club.

At the time, it was seen as a significant coup for the Blues, and in hindsight, it proved to be a shrewd bit of business.

Carsley was not a flashy player. He wasn’t known for long-range goals or eye-catching skills. But what he brought to any side was consistency, discipline, and leadership.

That was exactly what Birmingham needed following their relegation from the Premier League in 2007/08.

The motivations behind Lee Carsley's move

His decision to leave Everton, where he was still a regular under David Moyes, for the Championship side came as a surprise to many, especially considering the Toffees had qualified for European competition.

But Carsley had personal reasons as well as professional ones. Moving back to Birmingham allowed him to be closer to family, and he made it clear that helping his hometown club bounce back into the Premier League was a motivating factor. His signing sent a strong message: Birmingham meant business.

After his arrival, he explained his motivations, citing the ambition of the club as also motivating him to join.

He said, via the BBC: "My contract ran out at Everton, and I was offered a new deal there, but I felt like it was time to move on. I wanted a new challenge and I didn't necessarily want to go to another Premier League club and struggle with them.

"I've left a club that's going to be playing in the Uefa Cup again next season so it's not something I've done lightly. Alex (McLeish) just came across to me as a winner and his visions for the club match my own.

"I'll be putting everything into the next couple of years to make sure we get back in the Premier League."

Leading the Birmingham City rebuild

In the 2008/09 season, Carsley quickly became a key figure in Alex McLeish’s side. Installed as captain, he brought calm and structure to the midfield. While he wasn’t prolific, he scored only two goals that season, his influence went beyond statistics.

Carsley’s experience at the top level helped guide a relatively young Birmingham squad through the tough and attritional nature of the Championship. He featured in 41 league matches that campaign, helping the club secure automatic promotion by finishing second.

His presence in midfield allowed the likes of Sebastian Larsson and James McFadden to play with more freedom. Carsley held things together, broke up play, and kept possession ticking over. He also served as a role model off the pitch. His professionalism and work ethic set the standard at the training ground, and his leadership helped create a focused, united dressing room.

Carsley remained with Birmingham during their return to the Premier League in the 2009/10 season. Although he played a smaller role in terms of appearances, his contribution behind the scenes remained important.

That season, Birmingham finished ninth, one place above Carsley's former club Everton. It was a remarkable achievement, and although younger players were more prominent on the pitch, veterans like the midfielder helped build the foundation.

By the end of the 2009/10 season, Carsley’s playing time was limited, and he decided to retire in 2011 after a short stint at Coventry City.

But his ties to Birmingham didn’t end there. In the years following his retirement, he moved into coaching and was briefly caretaker manager of the club in 2017.

An association, then, that started with a homecoming and took quite the journey from there.