Birmingham City are hoping that Aitor Karanka will be the man to lead them back to the Premier League, even if patience is required.

Given the size of the city and potential of the club, Blues will feel they belong at the highest level, and they have made a mark in the Premier League over the years.

And, one of the better players to pull on the royal blue shirt in the top-flight in modern times has to be Mikael Forssell.

The Finnish striker arrived from Chelsea for the 2003/04 season and hit a remarkable 17 goals. He would add another nine four years later, showing he could be prolific for Blues at the highest level.

Those goals mean Forssell is fondly remembered at St. Andrew's and here we look at what the former favourite is doing.

Firstly, the ex-HJK man retired from football in 2018, having had a career that took him from Finland to England, with spells in Germany before ending up in his homeland.

Birmingham City quiz: Can you name the club’s top goalscorer from the last 13 seasons?

As you would expect, he is a hugely popular figure in Finland and Forssell's main work now sees him involved with HJK, the club where it all started for him.

The 39-year-old is in charge of their U17 side as he continues to take his badges, with the ultimate aim seemingly to have a go in management. As well as that, Forssell has a degree in sports management and a master’s degree in sport and fitness management, which shows how he had been preparing for his new chapter after playing.

With time on his side, Forssell will surely be hoping to make a big impression as a coach in the future, and we maybe shouldn't rule out another stint at Birmingham!

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.