Chris Davies reveals big Tom Wagner health update at Birmingham City | OneFootball

Chris Davies has revealed he has spoken with Tom Wagner through the summer after his health scare

Chris Davies has confirmed that he has received updates from Birmingham City owner Tom Wagner through the summer following his health scare.

The American suffered a stroke in February, which led to him taking a significant step back from his active role in running the Championship side in a bid to recover fully.

Andrew Shannahan and Matt Alvarez have both taken on the reins of the Midlands outfit in the months since, working closely with the head coach.

The pair have represented Knighthead Capital in recent months, with the group led by Wagner investing heavily in the club in recent years.

Birmingham began the new league season with a 0-0 draw away to Sheffield United on Saturday, with their sights set on competing for promotion to the Premier League.

And the Blues have also been active in the transfer market, and still have two weeks remaining to conclude any potential deals before the window shuts on 1 September.

Chris Davies provides Tom Wagner update

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Davies has confirmed that he’s spoken with Wagner on a number of occasions over the summer, and that his health scare earlier this year really put into perspective a lot of things about life and football.

He believes that the owner’s absence from St. Andrew’s has had a material impact on the club, and that it has felt quite different without him around since February.

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“It rocked the whole club.

"You put it into perspective and think what Tom and his family are actually going through, it's pretty meaningless what we're going through here in terms of our professional work.

"He's made great progress.

“I've spoken to him several times this summer on video calls and things like that, in difficult circumstances he's making great strides.

"Tom is such a figurehead for the club that naturally, when he hasn't been around for a few months it feels a bit different."

Wagner is continuing his recovery, and it is still unclear when he could be able to make a return to St. Andrew’s.

But Davies’ side will be back in action at home next weekend for their opening league fixture at St. Andrew’s of the new campaign, where they will face Bristol City.

Birmingham will be seeking a victory after failing to beat Sheffield United at Bramall Lane, with nothing able to separate the two teams after 90 minutes.

Birmingham City’s summer business

Birmingham have so far completed six signings this summer, including a permanent deal for Jhon Solis after his initial loan spell.

Luis Vazquez, Kristoffer Lund and Max Bird have all also joined on a permanent basis, alongside Dael Fry as a free agent after his exit from Middlesbrough.

Meanwhile, James Beadle has also returned to St. Andrew’s from Brighton for another loan spell, after he spent last season with the club as well.

Birmingham have until 1 September to complete any remaining business before the market shuts, but will also have their focus on their clash with Bristol City next weekend.

Tom Wagner’s presence has been missed at Birmingham

Wagner has been a very active part of the day-to-day running at Birmingham since he took over the club, so his absence has been felt.

A health scare will always put things into perspective, and the Blues have managed to carry on their business as relatively normal in spite of that.

Players and staff will welcome him back when the time comes for him to make a return to a more active role, if he can make that recovery.

It’s a positive sign that Davies and Wagner have been in direct contact over the summer, and it bodes well for things to get back to normal at some stage in the near future.