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Forssell - I almost left Blues

Image: Forssell: Happy to stay

Birmingham striker Mikael Forssell has admitted he was on the brink of leaving the club last summer.

Blues forward was close to joining Hannover

Birmingham striker Mikael Forssell has admitted he was on the brink of leaving the club last summer. Forssell, who scored a hat-trick in the 4-1 victory over Tottenham on Saturday, was hampered by a series of injuries early in his Blues career. He claims he felt unwanted by former manager Steve Bruce, but stayed after being selected for the opening game of the season. "Birmingham were prepared to let me go last summer," said the former Chelsea man. "I nearly went to Hannover. It was very close but Birmingham said that they didn't want to let me go in the end. "I was quite willing to go because I thought the old manager didn't want me here. That is the perception I had.

Achievement

"Last season I got back about February after injury and played in one game. "But that's football and throughout the years, I've learned that anything can happen and, for me, bouncing back was the biggest thing for me to achieve. "The old manager then played me all pre-season and then picking me at Chelsea in the opening game, after being put aside completely, was big for me." Forssell's current contract runs out at the end of the season although a two-year option could be taken up. The Finland international is enjoying a new lease of life under Alex McLeish and is set to have talks over his future, although he accepts that his decision could depend on whether Birmingham can stay in the Premier League.
Key factor
He said: "I've only got this season left of my contract before it finishes. We will see what happens. "We need to see where we are in the league and hopefully we can stay in the Premier League and then I think we can start talking. Soon, with Karren Brady (managing director) and the owners we will talk. "Would I like to stay? Obviously the key factor for everyone, the club and me, is that we would stay up. That would be very important and I am more than happy to stay then. This is a great club."

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