Iconic defender says he almost signed for Birmingham City when he left West Ham United

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Every footballer will at some point face a fork in the road where they have to make a big decision on their future. For Paul Konchesky, there have been a few, but going to Birmingham City just wasn’t a path he wanted to take.

Right now, Birmingham City are one of the most attractive and exciting projects in the EFL. It’s safe to say most footballers would love to sign for the Blues, especially given the backing of Tom Wagner and Tom Brady in the boardroom.

That was clear to see this summer, with a number of high-profile Birmingham City signings made. The aim, it seems, is for the Blues to get promotion as soon as possible and return to the Premier League.

Almost 20 years ago, though, the Midlands giants struggled to persuade Paul Konchesky to give up his life in London to join Birmingham, with Fulham winning the race instead.

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Paul Konchesky rejected Birmingham City

Speaking on the Under the Cosh podcast recently, Konchesky explained the options he was given when he was leaving West Ham United back in 2007.

He said: “There were a couple [of offers]. I spoke to Glasgow Rangers. I spoke to Birmingham City, but I ended up going to Fulham.

“The Scottish one was, I think at the time, I thought I was too young. And you hear about, you want to end your career there. So I thought at 24-25 years old, I’m probably too young to go up to Scotland and go and play.

“So, that was that. And then the other one was, yeah, I would rather just go to London rather than to Birmingham and not have to really move my family.”

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Paul Konchesky forged a brilliant career from Charlton Athletic roots

In the end, that probably ended up being a good decision. Obviously, it’s hard to know how the alternate reality would have played out had Konchesky joined Birmingham City, but he did end up at Liverpool after a good three-year spell at Fulham.

Having started his career with Charlton Athletic, Konchesky went on to play for a number of top flight clubs including Spurs, West Ham, and Leicester City.

He also represented England twice, which is no mean feat given he was around at the same time as the likes of Ashley Cole and Leighton Baines.