Leicester City have confirmed the signing of midfielder Stephen Clemence from Birmingham City, for an undisclosed initial fee which could rise to £1million.
The 29-year-old, who was Birmingham’s Players’ Player of the Year last season, has signed a three-year deal will the Coca-Cola Championship side and becomes the 11th summer signing for Martin Allen, the Leicester manager.
“He is a good experienced player who is ambitious to do well for us,” Allen said.”He was the captain and player of the year [at Birmingham] in a side which won promotion and I’m sure he will be a big asset to the squad.”
Clemence joined Birmingham from Tottenham Hotspur in the January 2003 transfer window for £250,000, and helped the side gain promotion to the Premiership last season. It is thought his lack of first-team opportunities at the club are the main reason for his departure.
“I am 29 and I want to play football, and if I’m playing well, then I firmly believe that I will play every week here [at Leicester],” he said. “I don’t want to be sitting in the stands and sitting on the bench - that’s just not me. I want to play football and want to try and achieve something here with Leicester City.”
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Steve Bruce, the Birmingham manager, said: “He has been absolutely fantastic for this football club. At a cost of £250,000 four or five years ago, he has been a magnificent servant to the club. I’ve been able to rely on people like him who have served this football club very well and I will never get a better pro or a nicer person to work with.
“But he wants to play regular first-team football. He was player of the year for last season but I could not guarantee him he would be my number one choice. It’s tough for me but after what he has done for this club I had to be fair to him.”