Picking Birmingham City’s dream 2000s era five-a-side-team - including 17-goal titan and Premier League winner
A look at some of the best players to have represented Birmingham City during the 2000s
Birmingham City have secured an immediate return to the second-tier and will now turn their attention towards building a team over the summer which can compete for a return to the Premier League for the first time since 2011.
The 2010/11 season marked a bittersweet symphony for the Blues, who experienced the highs of European qualification and a League Cup victory alongside the lows of a relegation from a league they are still yet to return to. However, the club enjoyed a much more joyful decade between 2000 and 2010 which featured three promotions, two top half Premier League finishes and an incredible 12-month unbeaten home run.
But who were the best players to represent the Blues during the decade. Here we take a look at the best five-a-side team we could build.
Birmingham City’s dream 2000s five-a-side-team
Goalkeeper: Joe Hart: The young Manchester City goalkeeper spent a season on loan at Birmingham during the 2009/10 season and proved himself as one of the best goalkeepers in the country with a series of stellar displays as the Blues finished ninth in the table. He made the PFA Team of the Season during his sole season at St Andrew’s and just gets in ahead of long-serving goalkeeper Maik Taylor.
Defender: Matthew Upson: The likes of Scott Dann and Kenny Cunnigham both get honourable mentions, but it’s ex-England international Upson who earns a start at the heart of the defence. He made 113 league appearances for the Blues before joining West Ham in 2007 where he continued to thrive.
Midfield: Sebastian Larsson: Swedish international Sebastion Larsson started out as a full-back when he first joined from Arsenal but went on to establish himself as a class act in the middle of the park for the Blues. The 133-time international won the club’s Player of the Season award in 2008, the League Cup in 2011 and treated the fans to some fine strikes from distance particularly from set piece situations.
Midfield: Lee Bowyer: Bowyer's tenacity, work rate and goal scoring abilities particularly in the 2009/10 season make him a key choice in the middle for a five-a-side game. The ex-Leeds United midfielder is renowned for his combative approach and his ability to break up opposing attacks.
Forward: Mikael Forssell: The Finnish forward scored a remarkable 17 goals during his loan spell in the 2003/04 squad and was the fifth top scorer in the Premier League for a team tipped to struggle. He went on to join the club permanently and though he didn’t hit the same heights due to injuries, his overall contribution puts him above the likes of Cameron Jerome and Christopher Dugarry despite the Frenchman’s initial impact.
Honourable mentions
Maik Taylor with over 200 appearances combined sits on the bench as our backup goalkeeper after seven years between the posts. Meanwhile, the likes of Cameron Jerome, who fired in 11 goals during the 2009/10 campaign and former AC Milan ace Christopher Dugarry also make the squad as impact strikers capable of changing the game.
Stephen Carr, who enjoyed a tremendous career renaissance with the Blues after a difficult spell at Newcastle also gets a mention in the full-back position after famously helping the team to League Cup glory in 2011. Alex McLeish is selected as the team’s manager ahead of Steve Bruce, despite the Scotsman’s controversial move to arch-rivals Aston Villa which still divides opinion to this day.