Birmingham City handed winger "best moment of his life" with £6m Liverpool transfer | OneFootball

Birmingham City played a big part in fulfilling Jermaine Pennant's "lifelong ambition" to sign for Liverpool

Birmingham City certainly played a pivotal role in delivering Jermaine Pennant what he described as the fulfillment of a "lifelong ambition" when they agreed to sell the winger to Liverpool for £6m in 2006.

The then-23-year-old England U-21 international - who had only joined Birmingham permanently a year prior after a successful loan spell - was over the moon to complete his dream move to Anfield.

Pennant's move to Liverpool would prove to be one of the defining moments of his career, the former Arsenal youth product went on to play a vital role in Liverpool's run to the 2007 UEFA Champions League Final - where they lost 2-1 to AC Milan.

Jermaine Pennant's emotional reaction to dream Liverpool move

The transfer was undoubtedly the pinnacle of Pennant's career aspirations, with the winger struggling to contain his excitement upon joining the Reds.

Speaking to Liverpool's official website following the completion of his four-year deal, he said, "I'm over the moon, I've dreamt about this since I was a little boy, so to actually be here and to be able to wear a Liverpool shirt and play at Anfield is a dream come true."

Pennant also revealed he was frustrated whilst waiting for the move to happen.

"I had to remain professional because I still had a job to do at Birmingham, but as soon as I found out a fee had been agreed it was the best moment of my life," he told Liverpool's website.

Birmingham City's crucial role in facilitating Jermaine Pennant's Liverpool transfer

Birmingham City's handling of the transfer negotiations proved somewhat instrumental in making Pennant's dream a reality - despite initial resistance to Liverpool's advances.

Blues initially turned down a £3.5m offer from Liverpool before eventually agreeing to the higher fee - taking into account both the player's desire to move to Merseyside and the financial benefits of the deal.

It's worth reminding that Birmingham had signed Pennant for £3m just 18 months earlier from Arsenal - and the subsequent Liverpool deal was complicated by a sell-on clause - that required Blues to pay Arsenal 25% of the fee received.

Then-manager Steve Bruce and the coaching staff at Birmingham had shown unwavering faith in Pennant during difficult periods - with the player grateful for their support.

Pennant said," When I had my problems, Steve Bruce and the club showed faith in me. I'll always be grateful to Steve and the rest of the coaching staff because they have provided me with the opportunity to take on a new challenge in my career."

Jermaine Pennant Liverpool transfer's long-term significance

Along with the aforementioned 2007 UEFA Champions League Final, Pennant also helped Liverpool win the earlier 2006 FA Community Shield.

For Birmingham City - the transfer was both somewhat of a financial success and a good demonstration of their ability to develop players for moves to elite clubs - Jude Bellingham is the clearest example to date, signing for Borussia Dortmund for an initial £25m - making him the most expensive 17-year-old in history.

The winger's career trajectory would eventually see him make over 350 league appearances for 15 different clubs - but none would match the emotion of his move to Liverpool.