How is Kevin Long's move to Toronto FC viewed in Birmingham City circles?
The Irish centre back won over skeptics after a rough start to his tenure at Birmingham City and will be missed by Blues supporters.
Looking to bolster a defence that leaked 59 goals last season, Toronto FC signed veteran centre back Kevin Long last week via a transfer from Birmingham City of the EFL Championship.
Long, 33, had one goal and four assists for Birmingham since joining the team last January on a free transfer. He was a key player in helping the Blues avoid relegation last season, but he fell out of favour after Wayne Rooney was hired as the team's coach last October. He dealt with injuries as he floated in and out of the matchday roster under new bench boss Tony Mowbray since his appointment last month.
Before joining Birmingham, Long spent 13 years with Burnley where he was teammates with former Canadian international David Edgar. He also had loan stints with a number of other English clubs, including Portsmouth and Barnsley.
The Irish international looked solid in his MLS debut on Sunday, playing a big role in helping TFC earn a 0-0 draw away to FC Cincinnati in the club's season opener.
Brian Dick is a long-time sports journalist who covers Birmingham City for the Birmingham Mail and is the co-host of "Keep Right On - A Birmingham City Podcast." He was also the reporter who broke the story about Long's transfer move from Birmingham City to Toronto.
In this one-on-one interview with TFC Republic, Dick discusses how Long's transfer to Toronto FC has been viewed in Birmingham City circles, how he fell down the team's centre back depth chart, whether he'll be missed by Blues fans, and much more.
This Q&A has been lightly edited and trimmed for brevity and clarity.
