What happened to the Birmingham City star once banned for taking a hair-loss drug? | OneFootball

Stan Lazaridis' playing career ended in dramatic circumstances in his native Australia

Birmingham City have lasted 15 years outside the Premier League, and whilst ambitions remain high at St. Andrew's @ Knighthead Park, this means supporters also spend plenty of time reflecting on their most-recent spells in the top-flight.

Knighthead Capital Management's high-profile investment means there is plenty of focus on whether Blues can earn promotion from the Championship sooner rather than later, which they were previously able to achieve in 2002, 2007 and 2009 under Steve Bruce and Alex McLeish.

The first of the two successes under Bruce came after years of play-off pain and a 16-year exile from English football's top tier, with Australian international winger, Stan Lazaridis, earning cult hero status in this part of the Second City as a result.

The former favourite spent the best part of seven years on Birmingham's books before returning to Australia with Perth Glory, and although his playing career ended in extremely unwanted circumstances, this hasn't stopped the 54-year-old from being heavily involved in developments at the A-League club in the modern era.

Stan Lazaridis' initial fruitful patch at Birmingham City after West Ham United transfer

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That said, it wasn't just Birmingham who got to see the winger's exploits in English football, as Lazaridis was initially signed by West Ham United for £300,000 in 1995 after featuring against the Hammers for a Western Australia Select XI.

However, four years down the line, he would move to St. Andrew's for a substantial £1.7m fee, although despite making 31 appearances in his first season, Birmingham would lose in the Championship play-off semi-finals to Barnsley, before further heartbreak ensued in 2000/01 as Trevor Francis' side lost the EFL Cup final to Liverpool and, again, the play-off semi-finals at the hands of Preston North End.

Lazaridis then made it 'third-time lucky' on a personal level with Blues as they defeated Norwich City in the 2002 play-off final, before he went on to make headlines in the top-flight, initially with a famous goal from a Jeff Kenna cross in front of the Holte End at Villa Park in the Second City derby in March 2003, as well as a stunning solo effort against Everton in B9 the following season.

Unfortunately, those times would be as good as it got for the experienced figure, though.

Stan Lazaridis' Birmingham City exit was compounded by Perth Glory ban

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Lazaridis would then begin to suffer with thigh issues in the summer of 2004, which saw his gametime under Bruce take a massive hit, including just 17 appearances as the club were relegated in the 2005/06 campaign.

The last of his 212 Birmingham appearances would come in a 3-1 defeat to Aston Villa in B6, having subsequently stated: "It is probably more than likely that I will go but there is no bitterness at all if that happens."

After being released, he then returned to Australia with Perth Glory after featuring for the Socceroos at the FIFA World Cup 2006, but a downward trajectory was compounded just a matter of months into his spell at HBF Park.

Indeed, in January 2007, it was revealed Lazaridis was banned for 12 months after testing positive for finasteride, which he was taking to prevent hair loss.

The drug was accepted for his use in England, but after returning Down Under, clearance was not received until after a drugs test returned 'positive' results, although it was noted by the Football Federation of Australia that "to suggest Mr Lazaridis was a drug cheat would be doing him a very grave disservice indeed."

Stan Lazaridis' current role at Perth Glory years after controversial ban

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After retiring in March 2008 after 13 months away from the professional game, Lazaridis, who made 60 appearances for his country throughout a largely impressive career, remained under-the-radar, before it was confirmed in March 2024 that he had returned to his former club as director of football.

Unsurprisingly, the way in which his playing career ended at his hometown club, the former winger revealed that he had "unfinished business" to help progress the 2018-19 A-League champions forward again.