Birmingham City have struck gold with Brighton-born star signed in the summer: View | OneFootball

Defender Alex Cochrane has impressed since joining Birmingham City from Hearts this summer.

It has been an outstanding start to the season for Birmingham City in League One.

Birmingham are playing in the third tier of English football for the first time in almost 30 years after suffering relegation last season, but they look to be in a strong position to bounce back to the Championship at the first attempt.

It was a busy summer at St Andrew's @ Knighthead Park with 17 new players arriving, and the Blues reportedly spent a total of around £24 million during the course of the transfer window.

Birmingham suffered their first league defeat of the season as they were beaten 1-0 at Charlton Athletic before the international break, but they remain top of the table, two points clear of second-placed Wrexham.

Chris Davies' side returned to winning ways with an emphatic 4-0 win at Shrewsbury Town in the EFL Trophy on Tuesday night, and they are back in action when they make the tough trip to face fourth-placed Lincoln City at Sincil Bank next Saturday.

The Blues' big spending has attracted plenty of attention over the last few months, but arguably one of their best signings of the summer was one of their less expensive additions - defender Alex Cochrane.

Alex Cochrane has made a huge Birmingham City impact

Birmingham spent significant money during the summer transfer window, including a fee of £15 million to re-sign Fulham striker Jay Stansfield on a permanent basis, which smashed the League One transfer record.

With that in mind, it is easy to see why the signing of Cochrane from Hearts for a more modest fee of £1.3 million went under the radar, but he has certainly made a big impression at his new club.

Cochrane began his career with Brighton & Hove Albion, and while he did make two senior appearances for the Seagulls, he struggled to establish himself at the Amex Stadium, and he spent time out on loan with East Grinstead Town, Union Saint-Gilloise and Hearts.

After spending the 2021-22 season on loan at Tynecastle, Cochrane joined the Jam Tarts on a permanent basis in the summer of 2022, and his strong performances for the Scottish side saw him attract interest from south of the border.

Football Insider claimed in January that Burnley, who were in the Premier League at the time, Ipswich Town and Blackburn Rovers were all keen on Cochrane, so it was a coup for the Blues to convince him to drop down to League One this summer.

Cochrane has started all nine of Birmingham's league games this season, and both his defensive and attacking stats underline how seamlessly he has slotted in to life at St Andrew's @ Knighthead Park.

Those numbers show how important Cochrane has been to a Blues defence that has conceded just nine league goals this season, but Davies will also be delighted with his attacking contribution, and it would be no surprise to see him register plenty more assists over the coming months if he continues to create big chances for his team-mates.

Cochrane has been one of Birmingham's most consistent performers in the early weeks of the campaign, and he will need to maintain his standards if he is to keep his place in the team when Lee Buchanan returns from injury.

Alex Cochrane will face fresh Birmingham City challenge from Lee Buchanan

As Buchanan has been sidelined since pre-season, Cochrane has been Davies' undisputed first choice left-back this term, but that could change once the 23-year-old is available again.

Buchanan joined Birmingham from German side Werder Bremen last summer for a fee of £1.3 million, and he was one of few players to emerge with any credit from their disappointing relegation season.

However, Buchanan sustained a calf injury in pre-season, and Davies revealed last month that he had suffered a setback in his recovery, although he did admit he was hopeful that he would not be out for too long.

It is difficult to put an exact timescale on Buchanan's return, but he will likely be able to make his comeback in the next few weeks, and that will provide Cochrane with a challenge he has not yet faced during his time at the club.

Of course, it is a welcome headache for Davies to have two quality left-back options at his disposal, and the strong competition for places could help to bring the best out of both Cochrane and Buchanan.

After his excellent start to the season, Cochrane deserves to keep his spot in the team once Buchanan returns, and at the age of 24, he could go on to be a crucial player for the Blues for years to come.