SUNDERLAND target Craig Gardner has signalled he is ready to leave relegated Birmingham and return to the Premier League. The midfielder is high on Steve Bruceâs summer shopping list, the Black Cats ready to table a £5m bid to bring the 24-year-old to Wearside. Gardner readily admits the acrimonious departure of Blues boss Alex McLeish means his future at Birmingham is far from certain following the teamâs last-day drop to the Championship. He realises he may have to leave St Andrewâs for the good of his career. Gardner said: âWhere are we going, what are we planning to do? I donât know. âAt the end of the day, like every other player, you have to think of your career. âEverything is so up in the air at the moment. âI have just had my best season, I felt at home in the Premier League, it is the best league in the world, and now City have gone down to the Championship.â McLeish resigned last week and is now understood to be on the verge of taking over from Gerard Houllier at Birminghamâs fierce rivals Aston Villa, which has provoked a backlash from fans of both clubs. The managerial saga â along with the fact key men such as goalkeeper Ben Foster, centre-back Roger Johnson and midfielder Seb Larsson are also tipped to leave â has only added to the confusion at the cash-strapped Blues. Gardner, who joined Birmingham from Villa 18 months ago in a £3m deal, said: âThere is a cloud over everybodyâs head. Nobody knows what is happening. âWe have gone down to the Championship, we have lost our manager. âAre players leaving, is money going to be spent? âThere is just so much to sort out and I have seen all the criticism Alex McLeish has been getting and I just think it is a little unfair. âWhether he goes to the Villa, I donât know. âIf it happens, it happens. Only time will tell. You do not know what is going on behind the scenes. âHim going, it is a big blow for us. He is a top manager and that should not be forgotten. âLetâs not forget this season we won the Carling Cup, last season we finished in our highest position in the league for 50-odd years. âWe made it to two FA Cup quarter-finals and every player in that dressing room respects him and will be upset to see him go.â Bruce is desperate to bring in a goalscoring midfielder and Gardner fits the bill, finishing as their 10-goal top scorer last season. Just hope its us as a few more are after him
there'll be plenty of takers for this lad, 10 goals from midfield in a team that was relegated is some achievement
