Evergreen Stephen Carr keeps rolling along at Birmingham City
Stephen Carr couldn’t wait for Christmas just gone to come round.
For the Birmingham City captain, it was a normal festive period, the sort he has been used to – training, playing, recovering.
A year ago, Carr was sitting at home in Dublin with his family doing all the things families do. Presents were unwrapped, too much food was probably eaten.
Carr was, in his words, ‘in the real world’ due to a self-enforced retirement from football.
“I was in Ireland having a very different Christmas,” he recalls. “It was strange, not having any games.
“To be honest, I would much rather be in the situation I was this year. And I think they all had enough of me anyway the year before!
“I’d be doing what every other person does at Christmas and then afterwards, going to the gym to keep fit.
“I hadn’t touched a football since the summer. Now, I’m just buzzing to be back playing.”
Carr’s return to the game has been one of the most remarkable stories, certainly in Blues recent history.
Manager Alex McLeish was in a bit of a quandary last January when Stuart Parnaby got injured and Stephen Kelly was packed off to Stoke City on loan.
Sebastian Larsson had to fill in at right-back and there seemed to be no solution to what had become a problem position.
Blues were also battling to keep their Championship promotion campaign on course.
A mutual friend of the pair told McLeish that Carr was up to nothing, so a low-key trial was arranged.
Carr ended up regaining his fitness, sharpness and hunger and was handed a month’s contract. He debuted at Crystal Palace and was given a fair old test in direct opposition to Victor Moses.
But despite some ring-rustiness he saw off the challenge of the Eagles tyro and remained an ever present to the successful conclusion of Blues season.
“I didn’t think of anything this far ahead when I stated to train with Birmingham,” Carr admitted. “I just thought about getting back playing and getting a deal here.
