Blues boss has given us all new lease of life, says Dean
HARLEE Dean says both his own – and Birmingham City’s – form contrast ‘like night and day’ from last season.
The captain has described the impact Aitor Karanka has made, both on him and the team, since he took over in the summer.
Blues are unbeaten in three Championship matches, are yet to concede a goal from open play and Dean has looked solid in central defence alongside new recruit George Friend.
Indeed, the 29-year-old admits he has been refocused by Karanka’s arrival.
“I’m enjoying playing football,” Dean said. “I feel galvanised, I feel refreshed, I feel confident personally, which again is night and day from last year.
“But you know you’ve got someone behind that wants your position and you know every day in training you’ve got to be putting it on otherwise you will be out.
“I think the gaffer is ruthless like that and that’s exactly what is needed. You need that competition, you need to work in training every day like it’s a game because if you don’t, when you get to the game you won’t perform.
“I’ve just been myself. I’ve tried to be better than I was last year and be a different person around the place – not a different person but a lot more positive and a bit more serious because I think that’s what we need at the minute.
“It’s been an honour and a privilege to captain this club and I do want to achieve something and be part of it. I’ve also said if I’m captain, it doesn’t mean I am going to play every week, that’s not how it works.
“If the club can go and achieve something, and I’m on the bench or playing here and there, I’ll be happy with that because I want to achieve something in my career with this club.”
Having signed for Harry Redknapp in 2017, when there was such optimism about a promotion challenge, Dean believes that the Blues are finally moving in the right direction again.
“Other than the Garry Monk year, which is probably the best year we’ve had since I’ve been here… you wanted to go and build on that and it didn’t happen… and now we’ve got another manager of the same stature, if not more. I spoke to Adam (Forshaw) who played with him at Boro and he said he is the best he’s played with and he would love to work with him again. “Then seeing him coming in, meeting him, just seeing how much he demands, I think it has made me kick on again and made me knuckle down a bit harder and try to be better because it’s what is expected.”