Birmingham City’s transformation under Chris Davies Projects during the summer months

Paik Seung-ho was happy to sign a new contract after watching Birmingham City’s transformation under Chris Davies and Knighthead during the summer months.

Blues are on course to win promotion back to the Championship at the first attempt and Paik has been instrumental in their strong start to the League One season. Both Paik and the club’s hierarchy were therefore willing to agree terms on a new four-year contract for the South Korean.

Paik reflected: “People can feel how the owners are changing the club. I can see every day how the people of the club, coaching staff and teammates, are working hard to be better. Since the first day of the new season I felt like we were in a good process so I wanted to be part of this club and I wanted to sign my new contract.”

Davies has also played a key role in Paik committing his future to Blues. The new manager has implemented a brand of football that suits Paik’s skillset.

“Since the first day we worked with him everybody felt like it was something different,” Paik said. “The way he wants to play we want to play like, with confidence and character. I think the players are trying to be better every day. The gaffer is making everything easier and he’s pushing us every day.”

Paik has followed captain Krystian Bielik’s lead by committing his future to Blues after relegation to League One. Like Bielik, Paik has aspirations of playing for his country and feared being overlooked in the third tier.

Discussing the club’s relegation on BluesTV, Paik admitted: “Not only me, my whole family was really sad about the situation because we know that League One is not an easy league, it’s hard, but being a League One player could make it difficult to be called up to the national team so we were really worried about the situation.”

Paik’s worst fears haven’t come to fruition though. New South Korea manager Hong Myung-bo has recalled Paik to his squad for this month’s World Cup qualifiers against Jordan and Iraq.

“Everything is thanks to the club, the coaching staff and my teammates, they always make me a better player,” Paik added. “They are helping me to play easy. To be called up to the national team is thanks to people from the club.”