Jeremie Bela has thanked the Birmingham City fans for the way they treated him as he prepares to depart.

The winger joined Blues three years ago from Spanish outfit Albacete but with his deal expiring in the summer, it has been confirmed that Bela will be leaving on a free transfer in the coming weeks.

And, the 29-year-old has now sent a message on Instagram to all those who have been part of his time at St. Andrew's over the years.

"I would like to dedicate a few words to you, first of all thanks to everyone who has been with me those three years in Birmingham. To the people I met in this amazing club, all my teammates, my managers, staff and especially to the fans, you will always be in my heart.

"You, the fans, deserve the best. From the first day I felt at home and this is because of you. Not everything was perfect, but I'm calm because I always gave everything for this shirt in every game."

The versatile Bela made 31 appearances for Lee Bowyer's side in the season that has just finished.

The verdict

This is a nice message from Bela and it's sure to be appreciated from the Blues support.

Even though he could frustrate on occasions, the Frenchman has generally done quite well for the team since he joined, and he didn't always play in the position that he would've wanted to.

So, there won't be many faulting his effort and commitment and it will be interesting to see who Birmingham bring in to replace Bela in the squad.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.