Birmingham aim to keep star winger after victory over MK Dons

Demarai Gray is a target for Premier League side Leicester City

BIRMINGHAM manager Gary Rowett concedes it is just a matter of time before promising young winger Demarai Gray heads off to the Premier League - but team-mate Clayton Donaldson is hoping he will get at least another three months playing alongside him.

 

Leicester target Gray was at the centre of controversy with MK Dons manager Karl Robinson, who claimed he should have been sent off following an altercation with Kyle McFadzean during their 2-0 loss to Birmingham, an accusation laughed off by Rowett.

And Donaldson, who laid on the second-half goals for Stephen Gleeson and Jacques Maghoma, admitted it is important the in-form Blues hold onto the youngster.

"It's very important, we don't want to lose our best players and he's one of our best players," said Donaldson. "We have done all that preparation in pre-season and in the first four games in the league. You don't want anything to disrupt that."

 

Rowett is braced for more interest in Gray before tomorrow's deadline and said: "You expect that. I would hope we would get bids because that means we are doing our job properly and he is playing really well.

"If I was a Premier League club I would be buying him but at the same time he knows I want him to stay, he knows I want him to keep developing and be a big part of what we do this year."

Frustrated Dons manager Robinson believes he may have to alter his approach with officials after the defeat.

"Maybe I should start slaughtering referees - I might get more," he said. "I'm getting told that I've got to be calm and don't speak to them. But the less I talk to them, the less I get on their back, the less decisions we get. So who's right?"