Meet the Birmingham City Star Risking His Career For Club & Country

Meet the Birmingham City Star Risking His Career For Club & Country

Paik Seung-Ho has been a large part of the work that has allowed Birmingham City to stay well in the fight for the playoffs this season.

But in recent months, his input has been severely limited by a recurring shoulder injury that is plaguing the robustness he prides himself on.

Initially suffered three months ago against high-flying Middlesbrough, his dislocated shoulder has once again come back to bite him, with the re-injury suffered in the 0-0 draw against West Brom.

It is an unfortunate situation which should really see him miss the remainder of the season, but it is instead only going to see him out for three weeks…

Seung-Ho Holding Out

Seung-Ho will only be missing for a few weeks due to his decision to delay surgery on his shoulder, which will allow him to continue for the rest of the season and likely not have the procedure until the early stages of preseason.

The South Korean midfielder has decided he will continue to play for his club in the fight to sneak into those playoff places. Not only that, but Seung-Ho has his sights set on a place in the South Korean World Cup squad in the summer and does not want to risk missing the prestigious tournament through his recovery period.

🚨 Paik Seung-ho 🇰🇷 to skip surgery.

The Birmingham City midfielder will not go under the knife to fix a shoulder issue.

His aim is to not miss any games for club and country. pic.twitter.com/NQt19kQaBt

— Fighting Stripes Football (@FSFootball_) February 20, 2026

Birmingham City manager Chris Davies spoke about Paik's injury, saying, “Paik has seen a specialist, and his programme now is, I think, maybe another three or so weeks until he can possibly be back available again for selection or training.

“The decision was made to take that kind of approach to it. We don’t want to miss him for any game, but that’s my understanding of our approach to it and his approach to it. About three weeks from now.”

Paik's Season So Far

Paik has been a mainstay, barring his injury intermissions, having played 31 games with 30 starts across the season.

His contribution from midfield has been undeniable, with a healthy mix of both stability and creativity making him one of the most influential players for the Blues.

Blues clear 7 off the top! 📈

Paik Seung-ho, solid return, like he never left:

✅ 77 min.
✅ 58/64 (91%) Acc. passes.
✅ 5/6 Long balls.
✅ 1/1 Dribble attempts
✅ 2/4 Ground duels
✅ 6/6 Aerial duels won (Career high)
✅ 1 Tackle

Rolls Royce. Up the blues!🫡🇰🇷#백승호 #BCFC pic.twitter.com/m2aHuZ9XeF

— Joel Kim (@KNTFootball) February 11, 2025

Paik has managed four goals this season and has garnered a very solid average rating of just over 7, which reflects the control he gives Birmingham week in, week out.

In even just the three weeks he will be out, Birmingham will undoubtedly face the consequences of losing such a talismanic figure.

But for Davies' men, they will see it more as a blessing than a curse given what the injury could have meant for their season had Seung-Ho decided to prioritise himself rather than the selfless approach he has taken.