Birmingham City stole history-making £2m cult hero from Aston Villa - He helped deliver Wembley Stadium history for Blues | OneFootball

Liam Ridgewell created history when he made the switch from Aston Villa to Birmingham City in 2007.

Birmingham City and Aston Villa’s historic and bitter rivalry has not seen many transfers between the two clubs, but Liam Ridgewell bucked that trend for just £2 million in the 2007 summer market.

It was reported that the Blues paid £2 million to sign the defender following their promotion to the Premier League under Steve Bruce.

This was the first time a player had moved between the two Midlands sides since Des Bremner completed a switch in 1984.

The rarity of these deals - 23 years between Bremner and Ridgewell - highlights, not that it necessarily needs highlighting, the bitterness of the rivalry between the clubs.

But Villa were more than willing to agree terms for the then-23-year-old, who was symbolically born the same year as the last deal involving the rivals.

Liam Ridgewell’s impact at Birmingham City after crossing Second City divide

Ridgewell was under pressure when he first took on his former side Aston Villa, and he didn’t get off to a great start when his old team came to St. Andrew’s in November 2007.

It took just 11 minutes for him to score an own goal, giving Martin O’Neill’s side the lead in a game they eventually won 2-1.

However, the centre-back eventually won the admiration of Birmingham supporters, becoming a cult hero at the club throughout his time there.

During his five seasons with the Blues, he made 175 appearances for the team, helping them to achieve heights such as automatic promotion to the Premier League in his second year, as well as a ninth-place finish in the Premier League in 2010.

However, no moment was greater than the EFL Cup triumph the following season, which saw relegation-threatened Birmingham beat Premier League title challengers Arsenal 2-1 at Wembley Stadium to lift the trophy, which remains one of the biggest underdog final wins in that competition's history.

The Midlands outfit hadn’t won a major trophy in English football since their League Cup victory in 1963, with this being their second time winning the EFL Cup.

Ridgewell played the full 90 minutes in the final, putting in a performance that will always live fondly in the memories of supporters who were lucky enough to attend history that day.

Liam Ridgewell’s Birmingham exit

Birmingham were ultimately relegated from the Premier League during the 2010/11 campaign despite their EFL Cup triumph, however.

While Ridgewell did stick around that summer, with the Blues eyeing promotion straight back to the top flight, his time at St. Andrew’s came to an end in January 2012.

The defender once again made the switch to a local rival, this time signing for West Bromwich Albion in a deal worth around a reported £2 million.

Birmingham were at least able to recoup most of what they paid to sign him, and his signing proved more than worth the money they spent on him, regardless of the fact it undoubtedly stung to see him in a Baggies shirt for Bluenoses.

The defender arrived at the club having to prove himself to Birmingham supporters after previously playing for Aston Villa, with many being understandably wary of how his Villa Park heritage may see him not exactly taken in by the St Andrew's faithful.

However, while it didn’t get off to the best of starts with that own goal in front of his own fans against their bitter rivals and his former club just a few months into his time representing the blue half of the Second City, he went on to create unforgettable moments in Birmingham’s history.