Once again we have permission to re-produce last weekend’s article on Lee Bowyer from Blues News from the Liverpool game.

Article and images used with permission from Birmingham City FC.

They say time flies when you’re having fun and that phrase is certainly applicable to Lee Bowyer

Blues’ swashbuckling midfielder is having a season to remember and at one stage such was Bowyer’s form there were murmurings in the press that Fabio Capello should take a look at the 33-year-old. It has been a fairytale story for the East Londoner since he swapped Upton Park for St. Andrew’s in a loan deal in January 2009. Bowyer’s Blues career got off to a dream start when he popped up with an injury time equaliser against Cardiff City on his debut and then went onto become a key member of the promotion-winning side.

Alex McLeish had seen enough of the quality Bowyer possessed and the move was made permanent the subsequent summer on a free transfer from West Ham. Indeed, McLeish’s decision to secure the midfield man’s services on a two-year contract has been vindicated with a string of man-of-the-match performances and a very healthy goal return.

Lee Bowyer

Bowyer has netted six times this season and is the club’s second top goal scorer – but he wants more. “I always think that if I get into double figures then that is a good season,” he explains to Blues News. “I have chipped in with a few goals although I would have liked a few more but the goals I have scored have been important so I have been happy on that front. I started off well but since Christmas I’ve not had any chances. The goals I did score, I was only getting one chance per game. Fortunately I took those chances but I haven’t been getting any scoring opportunities since. It’s still good getting six, especially when people thought we were going to go down. As a team we have struggled to score goals so I think six is not a bad return.

“Overall I’m pleased with the performances I have put in and I’ve not picked up any injuries so I am really happy with the way things have gone. I don’t think there were many people that doubted me, I certainly wasn’t. I still knew I could do it but it was just being given a chance and fortunately for me our manager gave me a chance. He obviously realised what I can do when I came on loan and now it has paid off with the good performances I have put in for the team.”

Even before a Barclays Premier League ball had been kicked in August, Blues were one of the favourites tipped to make a swift return to the Coca-Cola Championship. And some questioned the age of McLeish’s assembled squad yet Blues defied the odds and reached the halcyon 40-point mark in February to secure another season in the promised land of England’s elite division.

Blues’ style of football has earned plaudits and particularly the combination of Bowyer and Barry Ferguson at the heart of the midfield. And Bowyer has enjoyed proving the doubters wrong. “If we are honest it surprised everybody including the players and manager that we reached the 40-point mark as early as we did,” he reflects.

“If we are all honest with each other we thought it was going to be a lot harder than it was and that is a credit to everybody at the club for the hard work we have put in. We have surprised a lot of teams, but we have still got to finish as high as possible. Once we did reach the 40-point mark we could have taken our foot off the pedal if you like and gone through the motions but last weekend’s performance against Arsenal showed that we want to win and get as many points as possible.

Lee Bowyer

“It would be disappointing now if we didn’t finish in the top half but, like I have said all the way along when we were on that amazing run, we have got to be realists here. We haven’t got a very big squad and we just need to keep taking it point by point. Even if we don’t end up in the top half, it still hasn’t been a bad season because everybody tipped us to go down. At the start of the season we would have taken 17th but now we want to be greedy and we want to finish in the top ten. I am looking forward to a nice break but we have only got six games left now so that will probably fly by. I think the season has gone really quickly this year. I don’t know why – maybe because time flies when you are having fun? I bet it has dragged on a bit more for teams below us!”

And what does the Canning Town born-player think the key to Blues’ success has been?  “Hard work,” he states. “We have had a bit of luck with injuries really, we haven’t had too many injuries at the same time but predominately I think it’s been hard work. The manager has done really well with handling the players, resting them at the right time with the odd day off more than other teams will have had because we have not got a young squad. We have got a few old ones so the odd day off obviously benefits us. I think the manager has done well there.

“Because of not having injuries we have been able to play the same side and then you just get into a routine. Everyone knows each other’s game and for me and Barry (Ferguson) for instance, if I go forward Barry sits and then when Barry goes forward I know to sit, so I get a breather that way. For me and Barry playing in the middle it’s been really good.

“Barry’s a good footballer and a good man. Obviously he has got a lot of experience and I think we have gelled really well together – we have complimented each other’s games. We both like to pass the ball and get forward and nick the odd goal. We have both done that and I have really enjoyed playing with Barry. Hopefully we will be doing the same again next season.”

Today’s opponents are Liverpool – a club that Bowyer almost joined in 2002. Eventually the move broke down and one thing that Bowyer regrets is that he never pulled on a Reds shirt. “I think, if I am honest, on the football side of things that’s probably one of the biggest mistakes I made – not going to Liverpool,” he says. “At the time I didn’t feel it was right for me but looking back now I think I should have done and took the gamble. It didn’t feel right so I just went with my heart and really I should have gone there. Yes I do regret it.

“I think it’s been a disappointing season for Liverpool. If you look back at what they did last year they could have won the league and this year they got knocked out of the Champions League early and they are trying to get into fourth position, which is going to be hard for them as there are a lot of teams catching them up.”

The midfielder is clearly enjoying his stay in the West Midlands and would not mind becoming an adopted Brummie for a few more years. He concludes: “I didn’t have any regrets when I signed for Birmingham. If I’d had any doubts then I wouldn’t have signed but the manager and the fans were really good to me when I came on loan so I had no problems with signing. Hopefully now I will get another year or two then I can stay for longer.”