Recent actions by a Birmingham City star may put Everton and other teams on edge

The academy at Birmingham City may be set to strike once more, or it may have already done so.

The Blues have been failing on the field for however many years, and there have been numerous bottom-half Championship finishes. As a result, fans have not had anything to rejoice about in a while.

Although they just made the contentious decision to fire head coach John Eustace and replace him with Wayne Rooney, and despite the fact that they now hold the sixth spot in the Championship, the Midlands may be changing under their new American ownership.

Fans can be pleased with the club’s dedication to developing young players and giving them a chance over the past few years, though.

Jude Bellingham stands out from recent times because he was sold to Borussia Dortmund for £25 million and has since become a super-star for England and Real Madrid, but players like George Hall and Jobe Bellingham have also advanced at a rapid rate under the guidance at St. Andrew’s.

Jordan James is another player who came up through the ranks; at the age of 19, he doesn’t exactly earn many starts at City, but his recent international successes are sure to catch the attention of many.

Jordan James: Who is he?

James has been a student at Birmingham since he was eight years old, steadily moving up the younger ranks before receiving a scholarship offer in 2020.

Just over a year later, in November 2021, Lee Bowyer made the decision to give James his senior debut. After a few substitute appearances, he made his full debut against Blackpool later that month, when he not only assisted the game’s winning goal but also signed his first professional contract.

Under Bowyer, James played rather frequently for such a young player and occasionally utilized outside of his natural central midfield position, but last season under Eustace, he was used more frequently off the bench.

James started just 11 matches of his 37 appearances across all competitions in 2022–23, and just one of his nine Championship appearances this season were starts.

Jordan James has attracted the attention of whom?

Despite the majority of James’ appearances being as a substitute, clubs have been watching him since the end of the previous campaign; in April, Bologna and Leicester City were reportedly interested.

Over the course of preseason, Everton also kept a close eye on the 19-year-old, and recent developments on the international stage may see that continue.

James earned his senior Cymru debut earlier this year in March. His first starts came last month when taking against South Korea in a friendly and then Latvia in a EURO 2024 qualifier. James traveled to the FIFA World Cup in November as a backup player for the Wales team.

James made an impact in the latter game’s engine room alongside Leeds United midfielder Ethan Ampadu, and he was given the start again in a crucial match against Croatia on Sunday night in Cardiff.

And it was yet another masterful performance from Jordan James, who played the full 90 minutes and made two blocks, two tackles, three successful dribbles, and one key pass against a very skilled opposition midfield that included Mateo Kovacic and Luka Modric.

The admirers looking on will have been quite impressed, and it should result in Rooney giving James an opportunity to play in his natural position of midfield after being used out wide for the majority of the season’s beginning.

Krystian Bielik, Ivan Sunjic, Juninho Bacuna, and Gary Gardner are all vying for spots in that region, so there is competition, but James should have done enough by this point to deserve an opportunity.

Birmingham will need to be on the lookout for growing January interest, which is sure to happen given how well he performed on the international stage and could be a major game-changer.

With a contract that lasts until June 2025 and an additional year that can be added at any time, City is very secure in James’ future, although they may have competition to keep the brilliant adolescent.