Birmingham City are targeting successive promotions from League One to the Premier League on the back of their record-breaking season.
Birmingham City enjoyed a record-breaking season in League One, ending on an outstanding 111 points, and are planning to attack the Championship next term.
Under owner Tom Wagner, Birmingham are set for an “aggressive” transfer window, and have now been linked with a move for Crystal Palace ace Jesurun Rak-Sakyi.
Tom Brady and Wagner want promotion to the Premier League next season, and are early contenders for promotion in the 2025/26 Championship.
Now, Blues midfielder Paik Seung-Ho has revealed that he shares those ambitions, in a heartfelt admission about the city of Birmingham, the club and its supporters.
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images
Paik Seung-Ho praises Birmingham City supporters
Wagner has been told Birmingham can win Championship promotion next season if they can continue to recruit the same calibre of players who have been pivotal to the promotion-winning side spearheaded by head coach Chris Davies.
One of those examples is South Korean international Paik Seung-Ho, who featured 41 times in the third tier this season in the heart of the Blues midfield.
With the sights of Wagner and those of everyone else involved at St Andrews set on Premier League promotion, the combative midfielder has made a heartfelt admission about Birmingham.
Via KNT Football, he said: “When I’m on the pitch, what I really feel is, it’s not just about what we do on the pitch, but for the fans who show up.
“They come to the match to let out all the stress, and you can truly feel that in that moment, they are pouring it out.
“The crowd, they’re really enjoying the game, I feel it too, seeing something like that, it hits you too, and now honestly moving to England, I realised football just means so much.
“It’s never just a game. It’s everything to this city, for everyone here.
“It can bring you down hard, but it gives you a rush, like nothing else. I’ve truly come to feel that, which is why I keep pushing more, to play with full heart.”
However, with the 25/26 Championship poised to be one of the most competitive second tier seasons to date, his Birmingham teammates will have a difficult task ahead to achieve Seung-Ho’s “dream”.
Photo by Cameron Smith/Getty Images
Photo by Cameron Smith/Getty Images
Paik Seung-Ho can realise Premier League dream at Birmingham City
After their historic League One title win, the midfielder has made clear his ambitions to reach the top flight with Birmingham, to fully gratify the big call he made over his footballing future.
Seung-Ho opted to stay at Birmingham following their demotion to League One, amid interest from the Championship, to pen a new long-term deal at St Andrews.
Paik Seung-Ho
Games played – 68
Goals – 2
Assists – 4
Paik Seung-Ho’s statistics since joining Birmingham in 2023
As quoted by Sports Donga, Seung-Ho said: “I’ve gotten rid of the ‘third division’ label, now I’ll look forward to the next stage of my dreams.
“I think promotion itself is a huge motivation. Considering my age and timing, I think it is the last good opportunity.”
If Birmingham’s recruitment continues in the impressive vein that saw the likes of Jay Stansfield recruited, then the South Korean international’s dream of achieving top flight promotion could very well become a reality next May.