"Different animal" - Krystian Bielik makes bold Birmingham City revelation | OneFootball

Krystian Bielik believes that Blues are far too good for League One

Birmingham City captain Krystian Bielik believes that his side are too good for League One and will be in the Championship next season following a stunning start to the 2024/25 campaign.

Blues have made little secret of their intention to gain promotion back to the second-tier at the very first time of asking.

Backed by significant investment from Tom Wagner's Knighthead ownership group, reports claim that Birmingham's summer spending exceeded the £25 million mark while they paid a League One record fee for Jay Stansfield believed to be in excess of £10 million.

Birmingham were naturally tipped among the favourites for promotion heading into the new season and they appear poised to realise those ambitions, having won their last six league matches on the spin. Chris Davies' side remain the only unbeaten team in the division ahead of tonight's trip to Huddersfield Town.

Impressively, Birmingham have outlined their credentials by claiming victories over potential promotion rivals such as Wrexham, Peterborough United, Rotherham and Charlton Athletic.

Krystian Bielik's bold Birmingham City, League One claim

Bielik, who was named as club captain and signed a new three-year contract over the summer, reflected upon his decision to remain in the West Midlands and held nothing back when discussing Birmingham's start to the current campaign.

The Poland international believes that all of his teammates are above League One level, and that Blues will be a "different animal" after achieving promotion to the Championship.

"I stayed because I wanted to win something. I missed the feeling of winning games," he told BBC Radio WM.

"The last two years at Birmingham was really average. We'd win one game and then lost two or three in a row. It was tough and we had to go through those moments.

"What is happening now, we fully deserve. Obviously we got relegated, and we're in League One, but we've played very well and we play very enjoyable football. I'm here to enjoy football again because I haven't enjoyed it for a while.

"We're League One but I don't think there are any players in this team who are League One players. All of them are at a higher level. In six months time we'll be a Championship team and a different animal.

"We stay humble and keep our feet on the ground and we don't want to choke on it. But the reality is we're too good for League One."

Birmingham City are building a squad for the Championship and beyond

It became patently clear across the summer transfer window that Birmingham are constructing a squad not just to gain promotion from League One, but indeed to compete in the Championship and whatever else follows from there.

The blockbuster arrival of Stansfield, who is still just 21 years of age but proved his worth at Championship level while on loan last term, provided an ample indication of Blues' long-term ambitions.

They have the financial backing and support to compete in the Championship and usurp many of their potential divisional rivals in the second-tier market, so you would fancy them to first go up this term and then further underline their lofty aims from there on in.

Blues supporters were urged to remain humble during the summer, but it is quickly proving next to impossible to envisage them falling short in their promotion pursuit.