‘Things That People Won’t See’ – Chris Davies Hails Birmingham City Star

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·22 November 2025

‘Things That People Won’t See’ – Chris Davies Hails Birmingham City Star

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Birmingham City manager Chris Davies believes that skipper Christoph Klarer has not reached his peak yet and stressed the leadership that the Austrian brings on and off the pitch.

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Blues made good use of the international break, tying down their skipper, Klarer, with a contract running until the summer of 2029.

Klarer was not the only player that Birmingham rewarded with a new deal, with veteran goalkeeper Ryan Allsop also penning a fresh contract.

The Austrian, who spent time in the youth ranks at Southampton, was snapped up by Birmingham from German side Darmstadt in the summer of 2024.

He has made a big impact and Davies insists it is not just on the pitch that Klarer leads, as he also guides others off the pitch, which is not readily seen.

“He is a leader off the pitch”, Davies said at a press conference (3.47).

“You can see the way he is around the training ground day-to-day, things that people won’t see.

“But you can his leadership qualities on the pitch.”

Assessing the qualities of the defender, Davies insisted that the six-foot-three-inch defender is dominant in defence and also good on the ball.

The Birmingham manager feels there is more to come from Klarer, who has room to grow and develop more at St Andrew’s.

“[He is a] very dominant centre-back, can play, good on the ball. He has not even reached near his peak yet.

“He has still got plenty of layers and levels to build upon his game, which he will do in the coming years.”

Klarer has been an ever-present figure on the pitch for Birmingham, having played 1,350 minutes for them so far.

Following the club’s defeat in the EFL Trophy final against Peterborough United last term, Klarer lauded the atmosphere that was created inside Wembley by the travelling Birmingham fans.

Klarer will be looking to help Birmingham compete for promotion from the Championship this season, which could then hand him the chance to test his defensive skills in the Premier League.