The ex-Birmingham City, Brentford and Coventry City star who is now a train driver | OneFootball

Martin Grainger, who used to play for Birmingham City, Brentford and Coventry City, is now a train driver

Birmingham City, Brentford and Coventry City have all endured English football's various peaks and troughs in recent years.

Blues are currently vying to win promotion to the Premier League via the Championship play-offs for the first time since suffering relegation from the top flight in 2011, and won the League One title just last season.

Meanwhile, Coventry are battling to win the second-tier title under Frank Lampard, who steered the Sky Blues to the top six last term, but they were ultimately beaten by Sunderland in the play-offs.

In contrast, Brentford have put their EFL past firmly behind them and are striving to seal a place in a European competition for the first time in their history, enjoying the perks of sitting in the upper echelons of the Premier League table.

Ex-Birmingham City, Brentford and Coventry City star Martin Grainger makes surprise career change

Birmingham, Coventry, and Brentford fans will all remember left-back Martin Grainger, who was best-known for his impressive set-piece ability.

The 53-year-old's career began with Wivenhoe Town in 1992, and he went on to represent Colchester United, Brentford, Birmingham, and Coventry.

Grainger made 239 appearances for Blues, making them his main club, as he made just 11 outings for his other three professional clubs combined.

Meanwhile, as reported by talkSPORT, he is now working as a train driver for Govia Thameslink Railway, featuring on routes including King's Cross in London.

The former left-back retired in 2005 following a knee injury, and told talkSPORT about his fitness struggles: "We were playing at Middlesbrough in September 2002. I felt something uncomfortable in my knee.

"It was causing me pain, and scans showed I had suffered a ruptured patellar tendon, which required corrective surgery and a lengthy lay-off.

"Having had the surgery to scrape all the rubbish out, unfortunately, I had all sorts of complications with infections, so I ended up having three ops to get it cleaned up."

His last ever appearance for Birmingham, and in his career, came in a 2-1 defeat to Manchester United.

Grainger scored a free-kick that day and recently told talkSPORT: "I came on as a sub for Stan Lazaridis after 14 minutes. I remember taking a free-kick, and I felt the knee just pop.

"I tried to keep going until the end of the first half. Then we got another free-kick about 30 yards out. I didn’t want to take it, knowing my knee was shot to bits.

"But manager Steve Bruce was shouting across for me to take it, so I stepped up, and it sailed in to give us the lead. The moment I got back in the dressing room, I knew it was bad. The knee was a total mess, there was a hole at the front of the tendon where it had popped. It was extremely hard knowing I wouldn’t play again."

Leyton Orient supporters will remember Martin Grainger's son, Charlie

While Birmingham, Colchester, Coventry and Brentford fans will be surprised to hear Grainger's career change, Leyton Orient fans will remember his son, Charlie, playing as a goalkeeper for the O's from 2012-2019.

The former England youth international made 28 appearances for Orient, and had loan spells with the likes of Histon, Farnborough, and Hampton and Richmond.

He went on to join Dulwich Hamlet in the summer of 2019, later moving to Hastings United before his 2024 transfer to his current club, Wingate and Finchley.