Birmingham City have handed a new deal to young academy graduate Alfie Chang.
Birmingham City saw Chang, 21, break into the first-team last season, with the midfielder making 13 Championship appearances under John Eustace.
Chang had made one appearance this season, in the Carabao Cup, before sustaining a serious knee injury which has since ruled him out for at least the remainder of this season.
His previous contract was set to expire next summer though Blues had an option to extend his stay by a further year.
But the club have announced this morning that Chang has penned a contract extension through until 2026.
What Chang has said…
Upon signing his new deal, Chang told the club:
“It feels great. With the current situation with my injury, it gives me a lot of stability going forward and knowing that I am going to be here for that length of time is really pleasing.
“It shows faith from the Gaffer and Craig (Gardner) and that I am going to be a part of the plan going forward, hopefully, which is always good.”
He also said:
“I didn’t have to think twice about it when it was first mentioned. I was raring to go basically. It gives me more stability in terms of knowing what my future holds and I can just focus on getting back fit.”
The injury update…
Chang faces a race against the clock to make his return in 2024.
But the Worcestershire-born player gave a positive update on his rehabilitation, saying:
“It is good, I have had two operations now and have got no more planned – it is just going up from here really, progressing week by week, month by month.
“Everyone has been superb to be fair, the lads, the physios and my family at home, everyone has been good and I am around the right people to bring me back.
“Kieran (Stimpson) who is working with me more closely has been excellent and just aiming for next season is the plan at the moment.”
Can Chang fulfil his Birmingham City potential?
After his breakthrough last time round, it looked like Chang would really make an impression this season.
Although he had seemingly fallen down the pecking order due to an influx of new arrivals, he remains well within Eustace’s plans, and if he wasn’t injured, he’d no doubt be in Wayne Rooney‘s plans too.
And to sustain such a serious injury at such a young age and after only just making his name in the first-team is a huge blow.
How it’ll impact upon his eventual progression remains to be seen, but the club has shown great loyalty to hand Chang another two years at the club and it gives him security upon his road his road to recovery, like he points out in the above quotes.
It’s a long road and it remains unlikely that he features again this season.
Expect Birmingham City to take no risks in his eventual return to action and expect Chang to be wary of sustaining another serous injury.
But he remains a player with bags of potential. He’s a very energetic and well-rounded midfielder who is another credit to the Blues’ academy system, so the club will be eager to see him prevail, and his new deal reflects that.