BIRMINGHAM CITY are strolling League One this season as they aim to bounce back into the Championship.
They suffered relegation from the division for the first time in over a decade last season but look certain to go back up in their initial attempt.
Kieran Dowell wasn’t fancied under Philippe Clement[/caption]
They sit with a comfortable 12 point lead at the top of the table and also have a game in hand under manager and ex-Celtic coach Chris Davies.
Their strong squad consists of some familiar names, with the likes of ex-Hoops star Tomoki Iwata joining in the summer.
And the club also opted to bring in THREE Rangers players to help them push for promotion.
That saw Scott Wright move on a permanent transfer while Ben Davies and Kieran Dowell both joined on loan deals.
Iwata has been praised for his performances in the shirt and has scored a number of spectacular goals this season.
But it is Dowell who has received the most recent plaudits, with ex-England star Lee Hendrie URGING the club to snap him up on a long term deal.
Speaking to Football League World, he said: “They’re coming out of League One into the Championship, they’re going to need players like him, and I think that will be the key to their success.
“If they can keep a good squad of players who can adapt and play in the Championship, I think he’s definitely one that you’d think that they’d want to maybe keep on a permanent basis in the summer.
“Squad depth in the Championship is so key because of the relentless amount of games and that has been proven in League One as well for them.
“I do feel that they should keep Dowell on a permanent. There’s still more to come from him, so keeping Dowell is a must.”
The midfielder left Ibrox in January after finding game time limited under Philippe Clement.
But with Barry Ferguson now at the helm and with question marks over the long term successor to Clement, Dowell’s Gers career might not be over yet.
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