Former Birmingham City star backs John Eustace to snub Rangers

Former Birmingham City striker Emile Heskey has backed manager John Eustace to stay at St Andrew’s and avoid the lure of Glasgow Rangers.

The Blues boss’ name had been doing the rounds during the international break after the club’s impressive start to the season. A report from the Daily Mail claimed that Eustace was a candidate to replace Michael Beale at Rangers.

Following a 3-1 home defeat to Aberdeen on Saturday, the club confirmed the sacking of the former Aston Villa assistant coach after 11 months in charge..

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The Blues boss is rumoured to be on the Rangers shortlist after the impact he has had this season in the Championship, keeping Bleus well clear of relegation last season and overseeing a positive start to the new campaign, albeit one recently undermined by injuries.

Rangers’ decision has led them to start shortlisting replacements for the Ibrox hotseat, but Eustace could be more interested in staying in Birmingham than heading up the M6.

That’s the view of Heskey who believes that Eustace has a project at St Andrew’s that he will want to see out and the lure of the Premier League could be a bigger pull for his career.

Heskey told altindex.com : “Birmingham have got a great manager in John Eustace,” Heskey said. “John has been linked with the Rangers job in the past, and again following Michael Beale’s sacking over the weekend, so Birmingham need to do all they can to keep hold of him and to fight off those sort of clubs from taking him.

“It’s going to be difficult for Birmingham to do that when you see the likes of a Rangers show interest in John and come in for him because they’re a top team playing European football. But I think the lure of taking Birmingham to a play-off final, and hopefully up into the Premier League, could be a bigger attraction to him and he’ll want to stay at Birmingham for that reason.

“From where Birmingham have come from in recent years, this is a fantastic start to the season for them,” he said. “There’s been a lot of turmoil, there’s been a lot of ups and downs, fans have been getting a little disgruntled.

“But with the new owners coming in, and obviously sorting out the stand at St. Andrew’s… it’s bringing back a feel-good factor to the club and has picked up everyone around the club, which is what you want. And that’s why we’re seeing Birmingham secure some good results off the back of that good work from the new owners.

John Eustace, head coach of Birmingham City

“I think that’s got to be the aim for Birmingham this season, to get into the play-offs. That’s definitely achievable for this Birmingham side, definitely. As I said, they’ve got a great manager in John Eustace and a really good fan base that will get behind you, as long as the players give it their all, and that’s what they’ve been doing at this moment in time, so things are looking positive.”

Eustace who has previously addressed speculation, said : “It’s all speculation. I am not interested in any other job than Birmingham City. I am very, very happy here. I came here 14 months ago now and I signed a three-year deal to try and help rebuild this fantastic football club and get it back where it should be.

“We are coming up to half way in doing that. I think there has been fantastic progress in the last 14 or 15 months and I want to continue with that progress and see this club fly.

“It’s my job to worry about the club. That’s all I care about. I don’t look at social media, I don’t look at the press. All I can concentrate on and control is what I do on the training field with the players, and that’s all I concentrate on.

“There’s been some ups and downs in the 14 months that I’ve been here but I think everyone can see that we are going in the right direction. I want to be here for as long as the club want me.”

Eustace added: “Rangers, that’s not a job that interests me at all. I am very proud and honoured to be the Birmingham City manager and I want to help grow this football club for as long as I can.”

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