The 5 most controversial Birmingham City players in history named and ranked by AI | OneFootball

AI has ranked five controversial figures associated with Blues across their 150-year history

The 2025/26 season marks 150 years of history for Birmingham City, and one which supporters are hoping will end as another 'one to remember' under the ownership of Knighthead Capital Management.

The rollercoaster of emotions attached with Blues certainly hasn't slowed down since Tom Wagner's takeover in July 2023, with his first season at the helm ending in relegation to League One, although Chris Davies and his side would respond in record-breaking style with 111 points.

The early months of the current campaign have also coincided with some monumental milestones, such as Knighthead's full takeover of the club, clearing out any remnants of the controversial Far East ownership past, as well as the design for the upcoming 62,000-seater 'Powerhouse' stadium being unveiled on November 20th.

As such, there aren't many years left for Birmingham at St. Andrew's @ Knighthead Park. And, whilst the future remains exciting, there is always time for bluenoses to reminisce on iconic moments and players - for good and bad reasons - over time.

With that being said, Football League World asked ChatGPT to name and rank the five most controversial players in Blues' lengthy history, and here are the selections.

AI believes the least controversial of its picks is former Manchester United loanee, Ravel Morrison.

The attacking midfielder spent the 2012/13 season on loan at St. Andrew's throughout Lee Clark's first season in charge, during what was a period of cost-cutting at St. Andrew's amid financial uncertainty.

In the early stages of his temporary stint, the highly-rated Mancunian was criticised by the ex-Blues boss for his application, before transforming such attributes over time.

Given his reputation, a return of just three goals and as many assists in 30 appearances proved divisive, as there was clearly a top talent in the now 32-year-old at the time. But, as was showcased throughout the following years with the likes United, West Ham, QPR and Derby County, Morrison didn't live up to the hype which surrounded the early years of his senior career.

4 ? ? Marlon King

One of Morrison's former teammates, Marlon King, is in fourth according to AI.

The striker was an influential figure on the pitch for Blues during the 2011/12 and 2012/13 campaigns after joining on a free transfer ahead of Chris Hughton's solitary season in the West Midlands, scoring 32 times in 79 appearances.

However, it is no real surprise that the Jamaican international's inclusion on this list is down to his off-field antics which came during a loan spell with Hull City in December 2008 which led to an 18-month prison sentence the following October.

King left Blues in August 2013 after a mutual termination of his contract following a knee injury which was sustained in the latter stages of his final campaign.

3 ? ? Mauro Zarate

Mauro Zarate is now viewed as a rather 'niche' Premier League striker on social media, having predominantly featured for West Ham United in the top-flight.

However, his first taste of English football came in 2007/08, when the Argentinian was signed on loan from Qatari side, Al-Sadd, with the view of a potential £10m permanent move further down the line.

AI cites the ability at the striker's feet as a key reason behind said inclusion, as he only featured 14 times for Blues, with it taking nearly two months for Alex McLeish to award him a maiden start against Portsmouth.

His standout performance for Blues came through a brace against Manchester City in a 3-1 success in March 2008, eventually scoring four times for the club.

AI believes the controversy which surrounds the ex-Velez Sarsfield man is that Birmingham could have perhaps avoided an instant relegation back to the Championship if he was utilised on a much more regular basis during the opening weeks of his loan, with a fall into the EFL ending any chances of an extension.

In second is £6m signing Nikola Zigic, who is remembered at St. Andrew's for a whole host of reasons.

The ex-Valencia man is best known for being the scorer of historic goals in royal blue, including the opener at Wembley Stadium in Blues' finest hour and underdog EFL Cup final success over Arsenal in February 2011, as well as his winner which knocked out cross-city rivals, Aston Villa at the quarter-final stage.

However, whilst the towering Serbian also sparked the club's dramatic relegation escape against Bolton Wanderers in May 2014, many bluenoses often reference a key reason behind well-documented financial uncertainty being that Zigic was still being paid as much as £55,000 per week in the Championship.

This, in particular, caused plenty of discourse from the aforementioned Clark, who dropped him from the club's matchday squad in 2013 due to attitude issues.

As such, Zigic continues to be a divisive figure in B9 despite leaving the club 10 years ago after a short second spell.

1 ? ? Lee Bowyer

Topping the charts, according to AI, is combative midfielder and former Blues manager, Lee Bowyer.

The former England international was a Premier League mainstay throughout his playing career, before moving to St. Andrew's on an initial loan deal that was made permanent after McLeish's men returned to the top-flight with a final-day success over Reading in May 2009.

The Londoner scored 12 times in 94 appearances for Blues, which included the first in a comeback aggregate victory over West Ham United in the 2011 EFL Cup semi-finals. But, it's fair to say, the man who, infamously, was red carded for fighting his ex-Newcastle teammate, Kieron Dyer, was also the subject of controversial moments in the West Midlands.

This included an incident in which he was forced to apologise for unsavoury words towards a West Bromwich Albion supporter after a late tackle on Gabriel Tamas.

Bowyer was also Blues manager during a testing period between March 2021 and July 2022, winning just 17 of 59 games in charge and departing with a 29 percent success rate.