"Hard to find a role for him" - Senior player at Birmingham City facing up to exit ahead of Championship season | OneFootball

The Blues captain has started just two league games in 2025

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Birmingham City recorded the best defence in League One this season, keeping 23 clean sheets and conceding just 31 goals.

13 of those clean sheets came in the latter half of the season, in a 2025 where club captain Krystian Bielik started just twice.

Throughout the season, Chris Davies has had Christoph Klarer and Ben Davies ahead of the Polish 27-year-old in the centre-half pecking order, and, when he settled into a natural four-at-the-back formation, Bielik was naturally the one who dropped to the bench.

Bielik has made 125 appearances at St Andrew's, more than any other club he's played for in his career so far, and is clearly well-liked among Blues supporters, but even Birmingham fan pundit, Aaron Bastable, thinks that his pride and playing mindset may lead him to the door this coming summer.

Fan pundit praises "exemplary" captain, Krystian Bielik

Aaron showed clear confliction when asked whether he felt that Birmingham captain Krystian Bielik would move on this coming summer, showing how well thought of he is among Blues fans.

"It's a difficult one because we all know how much he wants to play football and, as far as I'm concerned, Bielik is far too good to be sat on the bench for a League One team and even a Championship team. I think he's that good of a footballer," he said.

"Up until Christmas, Davies found a way to play him whenever he was fit, even playing him out of position at right back where he'd never played before. So the manager does like him. We just got into such a good run of form that it was hard to find a role for him."

Despite being used almost primarily from the bench in 2025, Bielik proved he was ever the professional throughout a tough period in his career, which Aaron respects.

Ultimately, it will all come down to game time, and with the 11-time Polish international entering his prime years at 27, he will likely want to be at a club where he is one of the first names on the team sheet.

He added: "As club captain, he's been exemplary this season. He's never moaned, from the outside looking in. He's always available, and he wants to play.

"He's a proud person though. He said at the player awards that he was staying but if his pride kicks in, and he's told by the manager that he doesn't have much football for him, he might leave.

"My heart says stay. My head says he leaves - it's difficult to say."

Departing Ben Davies may lead to Krystian Bielik being reinstated

Per the Birmingham retained list, former Preston North End centre-back Ben Davies will return to Rangers at the culmination of his loan spell at St Andrew's.

Now, Birmingham already have cover sorted for the departing defender, with Phil Neumann joining the club in July, having signed a pre-contract agreement from German side Hannover 96 in January.

Aaron feels that, despite Neumann coming with plenty of excitement surrounding him, losing Davies could see Bielik return to his regular role in the Birmingham backline.

He said: "If we keep Davies, I can't see him [Bielik] staying.

"[If we don't keep Davies], I know we've signed Neumann, but Bielik already has the luxury of playing under Chris Davies and understanding what he requires.

"So, unless he has a conversation with Davies, and he tells him that he can't envisage too much football, my gut says he might stay."