Gardner is blooming inspiration
GARY Rowett heaped praise on Gary Gardner for firing Blues’ players up before their moraleboosting win over Coventry.
Gardner has been a bit-part player all season and hasn’t had much game-time under Rowett either.
The 31-year-old midfielder has been introduced as a late substitute in all four of the interim manager’s matches and saw the Coventry win out after his teammates had done the damage.
Bobby Thomas’s own goal opened the scoring at St Andrew’s before Ivan Sunjic and Jay Stansfield made the game safe.
Blues reacted in the right manner after the dire defeat to Cardiff last Wednesday and now, with three games to go, are back above the relegation zone.
Gardner might not be playing a huge part on the field, but his contribution behind the scenes has been invaluable to Rowett, who was keen to pay tribute to the player. He said: “I have spoken about it before and been quite vocal about Gary Gardner, who hasn’t played very much.
“You know what, he was in the dressing room before telling everyone what it means to play in a local derby and making sure he does all the right things.
“And I’ve got to say, sometimes when you’re only playing for a minute or two that is hard to do mentally, but that is a really unselfish player in there that is showing and leading the way of how to be a professional.
“I’m really pleased for someone like him.”
Gardner is among a clutch of players whose contracts will expire at the end of the season.
He has been at Blues for six years since crossing the Second City divide from Villa.