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Birmingham City supporters have a familiar face to keep an eye out for in new football tournament
The Baller League is a new football tournament consisting of 144 new players split into different six-a-side teams. It begins in London on 24th March and will be televised live of Sky Sports.
Those involved will be a combination of ex-players and social media people. Birmingham City supporters will be able to keep an eye on the progress of one of their former players.
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In the meantime, the Blues are eyeing promotion from League One. They were relegated from the Championship last year but have since adapted well to life in the third tier.
Former Birmingham City player selected
Former Birmingham City winger Jordan Ibe has been selected for the 26ers team. He will be managed by former Aston Villa coach John Terry, who of course spent his playing days with Chelsea and England.
Ibe, 29, had a loan spell with the Blues back in 2014. He was given the green light to link up with the Midlands outfit on a temporary basis by Liverpool to get some experience under his belt and he went on to play 11 matches, chipping in with one goal.
The ex-England youth international rose up through the ranks at Anfield after joining the Reds as a youngster from Wycombe Wanderers. He played 58 matches for the Merseyside giants and scored four goals, as well as being loaned out to Derby County to boost his development.
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Ibe joined AFC Bournemouth in 2016 and spent four years with the Cherries before returning to Pride Park for a second time. He has since had stints at Adanaspor, Ebbsfleet United, Hayes and Yeading United and more recently Hungerford Town in non-league.
26ers team in full: J’ardell Stirling, Bilal Sayoud, Sak Hassan, Kojo Apenteng, Marcel Lewis, Jordon Ibe, Matt Chizzum, Emmanuel Rowe, Justin Dass, Spike Stegel, Vladislav Platinov, Jack Crook. Managers: John Terry
Ibe looking for Baller League revival
Ibe has opened up about his mental health problems in the past to help raise awareness. Back in 2021, he said; “I've found myself in a dark place due to suffering from depression, It's no scheme for the media or to have my name in your mouths, I just find things hard, truly."
“I appreciate all the love and messages from everyone. Times are hard in general due to this pandemic. I have full support from my family and Derby County. I will fix myself and this situation, which I'm 100 percent committed to. Not only for my family, close friends and daughter but for me."
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He will now compete in The Baller League and will be eager to showcase his skills again to a televised audience. The Baller League CEO Felix Starck has said: "Baller League is a brand new way to consume football. We're redefining how the game is played by bringing an exhilarating and authentic approach to football, and one that will appeal to current fans along with future generations.
"Baller League is all about forward-thinking, aggressive, hyper-exciting football. We're about creating a version of the game that's impossible to ignore - thrilling, bold and packed with excitement."