"Birmingham are very fortunate" - Kenny McLean sends Grant Hanley message as Norwich City star heads for Blues | OneFootball

Kenny McLean sent a message to Grant Hanley after his move from Norwich City to Birmingham City was announced.

Norwich City captain Kenny McLean has heaped praise on Grant Hanley after the defender completed his move to Birmingham City.

The centre-back joined the Canaries in 2017, with McLean arriving 12 months later, so the two have been teammates for some time, whilst they are also both Scotland internationals.

However, Hanley’s move to Blues was announced this morning, with the 33-year-old joining Chris Davies’ side as they push for promotion back to the Championship.

Kenny McLean reacts to Grant Hanley’s Birmingham City move

On paper, it looks like a good move for Blues, as they were low on numbers at centre-back, and they have brought in someone who has spent his entire career in the top two leagues in England.

So, it looks like a smart move by Birmingham, and it certainly received approval from McLean, who took to his Instagram story to praise the defender.

“What an incredible man who deserves the best. Birmingham are very fortunate to have him.”

Grant Hanley’s experience can help Birmingham City

Obviously, McLean and Hanley are friends, but it does give an insight into how respected he was in the Norwich dressing room, and he is a player who will seemingly be missed at Carrow Road.

This season has been frustrating for Hanley, as he hasn’t had the game time he would’ve wanted after bad luck with injuries, so it did feel like the right time to move from a football perspective, particularly as his contract was running down.

Now, he will look to force his way into what is a very good Birmingham XI, and if he can get near his best level, Hanley should dominate in League One.

So, you can understand why Davies has pushed to bring Hanley in, and he knows that the ex-Blackburn man will also help in the dressing room.

Given their expensively assembled squad, there is a lot of pressure on Blues to win promotion this season, and you need figures who are capable of dealing with that.

That won’t bother Hanley, who has seen a lot over the years, and should be a good influence on the younger players in the group.

Hanley’s deal was announced in time for him to go straight into the Blues squad for their home game against Exeter City on Saturday as they look to extend their lead at the top of the table.