Ethan Laird

Laird overlaps and underlaps in equal measure, arriving on the right in whatever space the winger ahead of him leaves vacant during a game. His engine rarely slows across ninety minutes, which lets Birmingham commit an extra body forward without ever losing their defensive shape behind him. Years of frustrating injury trouble at Manchester United meant his early twenties passed without the regular first team football his talent clearly needed.

The fair question is whether a full back built almost entirely on relentless running can keep producing that same intensity once bodies begin to tire. Younger players at the club will eventually push him hard for the shirt, and Birmingham have already shown they are willing to rotate that position rather than settle. For now his relentless energy remains the single most reliable thing about him.