Odin Bailey opens up on Birmingham City ‘brick wall’, his nightmare transfer and St Andrew’s hope

Bailey feared becoming one of the number of talented youngsters who fall by the wayside. He continued: “At the start of this season I knew I had to leave, not only for my mental health but for my career as well. Having one season not playing is bad enough, but if it ends up being two seasons before you know it I could be in the National League or even falling out of football.”

Stockport manager Dave Challinor offered Bailey a lifeline. A line was drawn in the sand and Bailey moved to Edgeley Park in the hope of helping Stockport improve on their fourth-placed finish in League Two.

“One of the main reasons why I was so eager to join Stockport is because the trajectory the club has been on in the past few years is astonishing. If you spent five minutes at the training ground you would never think it was a League Two club. The training facilities are unbelievable.

“I know how Birmingham is and it’s very similar to the set-up in terms of staff and training pitches. The set-up is very good and it’s not something I’ve seen from a League Two club before.”

Stockport are no longer a League Two club. They will play against Blues in League One next season after storming to the League Two title, leaving Hollywood-backed Wrexham in their wake.

Bailey’s performance as one of two attacking number eights in their midfield was significant. For the first time in his career, Bailey reached double figures for goal contributions – three goals and eight assists in all competitions.

Now that he has redeemed himself and rejuvenated his career, Bailey is counting down the days until June 26, when EFL clubs will discover their fixture lists. His eyes will be drawn to one match in particular.

“I would love to play against Birmingham. I love playing at St Andrew’s, it’s a great stadium full of great fans. I’d love to go back there and when I do, hopefully I will get a warm reception.”

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