Birmingham City star makes subtle dig at former club after they failed to grant his ‘wish’

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Everyone wants to be a part of the Birmingham City story.

Backed by Tom Wagner and Tom Brady, Birmingham want to get to the Premier League and will stop at nothing to ensure that dream is realised.

Big name signings like Kyogo Furuhashi and Demarai Gray have grabbed the headlines but then there have also been solid pieces of recruitment like Phil Neumann.

Joining from Hannover 96 this summer, Neumann has played in all but two minutes of Birmingham’s games this season.

The move had been a long time coming and although he is loving life in the West Midlands, Neumann has one regret.

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Phil Neumann wanted to be part of Birmingham’s League One celebrations

Birmingham tried to sign Neumann from Hannover twice before landing him on a free transfer in the summer.

Hannover rejected bids on multiple occasions before releasing a statement criticising the Blues for announcing the deal an hour after their game against Jahn Regensburg.

Neumann was left frustrated by his former club after wanting to be a part of the League One journey.

He told Birmingham Live: “I wish I would have moved here one year earlier, but yeah, now I’m here and I’m really happy to be here.

“When I came in, everybody was really lovely, and it’s the same now with every other new player who comes in – you feel settled in really, really fast.”

Phil Neumann is already winning over Birmingham fans

It’s still early days into his Birmingham career but if Neumann continues to sing from this hymn sheet, then he is going to be very popular among supporters at St Andrews.

After his arrival was confirmed in May 2025, Neumann said that Birmingham is still “not where it belongs” and that he would be coming in with the aim of getting promotion to the Premier League.

Fans have been impressed with the 27-year-old’s outings early doors and he could have a huge say come the end of the season.