Harlee Dean makes positive Birmingham City claim after injury return | OneFootball

Harlee Dean has heaped praise on Birmingham City boss John Eustace as he revealed the atmosphere around the club is the best it has been in years.

The centre-back, who has had a mixed time at Blues over the years, missed the start of the season through injury. However, he returned for the past two games and played his part as the side picked up six points and recorded successive clean sheets.

That has sparked another turn in fortunes for the player at St. Andrew’s, after he seemed destined to leave after going out on loan to Sheffield Wednesday in the previous campaign.

But, the arrival of Eustace, who succeeded Lee Bowyer in the summer, has given Dean a new lease of life and he told Birmingham Live that the impact of the boss is clear to see around the whole place.

“The standards have just got to keep rising and rising and rising and we have just got to take it one game at a time and see where we end up.

“For me it’s not been like this since Garry Monk and it’s very similar to that, if not better. Hopefully it can continue, grow and get better and better and better. It makes everything so much easier when you have actually got direction – and the lads in there have got direction.”

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The verdict

From the outside, it certainly seems that Blues are in a very good place right now with the manager and the players, who have built a real connection with the support.

When you consider the off-field problems that continue to impact the club, it shows just how well Eustace has done to unite the dressing room and the support.

Clearly, he is loved by the players as well and it’s now about building on the good start and continuing to climb the table for Birmingham.