John Ruddy explains Birmingham City contract stance after talks with other clubs

Birmingham City hope to keep John Ruddy at the club but the goalkeeper can depart on a free transfer from July 1

John Ruddy is likely to have further conversations with Birmingham City over a new contract now that the managerial situation has been sorted.

Chris Davies was appointed Blues boss on Thursday after a search for Tony Mowbray’s successor which exceeded two weeks. The 39-year-old former Tottenham Hotspur coach will now be given the keys to rebuild the squad following relegation to League One.

Ruddy is one of two experienced players Blues had been hoping to keep, the other being 35-year-old club captain Lukas Jutkiewicz. Ruddy was waiting for clarity on the manager before making any decisions and admits to talking to other clubs in the meantime.

Speaking about his contract situation on The Fozcast – the podcast of ex-Blues goalkeeper Ben Foster – Ruddy said: “When they get the manager sorted we will see what happens. Hopefully there’ll be a couple more conversations but I’ve had conversations with other clubs as well. It’s just a matter of keeping your options open and seeing what comes about.

“I still want to play and that would be my first preference because I have really enjoyed playing in the last two years. After four years at Wolves where I wasn’t playing, I’ve done 89 games in two seasons. I feel physically good and feel like my performance level has been fairly decent. There’s obviously peaks and troughs but I do believe I have been consistent on the whole.”

Ruddy has been living away from home since he left Norwich City to join Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2017. The 37-year-old’s wife and two children still live at their family home in Norwich and he is willing to make that sacrifice to prolong his playing career.

“My situation is my wife and kids stayed in Norwich when I left,” he explained. “That is purely a decision me and my wife made because the kids were happy, they were in school and settled. My son is starting full-time with Norwich in the summer and has a scholarship. My daughter is happy and my wife is incredibly supportive.

“I’ve maybe got a couple of years left playing so if something weird and wonderful comes up on the other side of the country, it’s something we would have to think about. I’ve lived away from home effectively for eight years so it’s difficult because you’re missing out on so much, but you are doing it for the greater good. Their life in Norwich is where we wanted it to be when we first had kids.