‘Definitely leave’ – Birmingham City star lifts lid on Sheffield United and Norwich City transfer ‘offers’..
Paik Seung-ho has opened up on his approach to transfer interest from Sheffield United, Norwich City and Stoke City.
Birmingham’s star midfielder Paik Seung-ho has admitted he received approaches from several Championship clubs to jump ship when Blues were relegated to League One.
Paik was convinced at one stage he would definitely leave but he had a change of heart and decided to stay at St Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park for the 2024/25 season. It’s a good job he did as the South Korea international has since formed a formidable midfield partnership with former Celtic man Tomoki Iwata and Blues are on track to return to the English second tier next campaign.
In a recent interview with Korean publication Naver Sports, Paik opened up on his admiration for Birmingham head coach Chris Davies and the difficult decision he had to make with his international future in mind. The 27-year-old only made the move to England five months before Blues was relegated, so it was an emotional rollercoaster.
“Honestly, I thought I would definitely leave,” Paik admitted to Naver Sports. “But the manager is so good. I kept fighting with myself internally, ‘If you play in a better league, won’t you be able to go to the national team?’ And the other half was, ‘Under this manager, can’t you really develop more as a player while playing the football I like and learned?’
“I received offers from Sheffield (United), Norwich and Stoke and if I had spoken strongly, they would have let me go. At first, the manager said, ‘If you don’t think about staying here or don’t think you’ll give your best, tell me. I’ll definitely let you go’. In fact, all the players who felt that way left. But I thought this manager was too good to pass up
“If I had transferred, I wouldn’t know what kind of football the manager there would play. It was really stressful. In the end, I decided to stay, and I’m really, really satisfied. Really.”
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‘Stress’ of promotion looms large
Paik, who has started 24 of the 29 League One matches so far this season, is delighted he stuck with Blues but that hasn’t stopped anxiety from creeping in. The pressure of returning to the Championship at the first time of asking is relentless given its importance not only for the club but also Paik’s future career prospects.
“Every time we lose, the stress is immense, honestly.” Paik went on to say. “We’ve only lost twice in the league this season, and even that was stressful. The thought that we absolutely have to get promoted is just constantly in my head.
“The manager keeps saying, ‘We are sleeping giants’. I get the feeling that he really wants to take Birmingham to the Premier League. Ipswich did it that way too. I don’t think it’s impossible.”
On where he reckons Blues will be in 12 months’ time, Paik added: “I hope we’ll be in the Championship and in the same situation as now. Like, being in first place in the league with some points difference from second place. It’s so great that the club has clear goals. I really like that I can focus on working hard and preparing.”
