Birmingham City have enjoyed a solid start to a tricky run to open the 2026/27 Championship campaign, as just over a quarter of the way into the season, the Blues have their eyes firmly set on a play-off place come May.

Birmingham are looking to continue their rise through the divisions this season under Chris Davies, and have made positive strides in the early stages of this campaign to do so.

Having fallen just short of the play-off places last time around, Blues are looking to make no such error again, and looking at the makeup of their squad, they have strength and depth in almost all positions across the board.

Their have been a few standout performers at this stage, as Liam Millar, Phil Neumann, and Christopher Klarer take the headlines, though one other player is quietly enjoying an excellent campaign.

Bright Osayi-Samuel is having an excellent season with Birmingham City so far

Nigerian right-back Bright Osayi-Samuel has emerged as Davies' first-choice option on the right side of defence this season, starting all 12 league games at this stage and firmly ahead of Ethan Laird in the pecking order at St Andrews.

The 28-year-old made just 27 appearances in the league for Birmingham last season, with Tomoki Iwata often preferred at right-back over him, but now, he appears to have made the position his own, and is rewarding Davies' faith in him with some stellar performances.

If the 36-capped Nigerian can maintain this sort of form throughout the course of the season, then Blues will almost certainly find themselves in and around the top eight come May, though things were never always this rosy for Osayi-Samuel.

Bright Osayi-Samuel came through the ranks of Blackpool before joining Queens Park Rangers

Born in Nigeria before moving to Spain at an early age and then settling in England, Osayi-Samuel would come through the ranks of Blackpool, emerging as a regular presence at Bloomfield Road in the 2015/16 campaign.

He'd eventually become a mainstay in the Tangerines' ranks, and subsequently earned a move to Queens Park Rangers in the summer of 2017, once again forcing his way into plans at Loftus Road.

The 2019/20 season would yield five goals and nine assists in 37 Championship games for Osayi-Samuel, who would eventually allow his contract in West London to run down before heading across the continent to Istanbul, where he would work under one of the most recognisable faces in the sport.

Bright Osayi-Samuel conjured an excellent relationship with José Mourinho at Fenerbahçe

Upon his move to Turkey, Osayi-Samuel once again forced his way into plans at Fenerbahçe, playing regularly in the Turkish top flight, as well as in all three major European competitions.

By the time the 2024/25 season rolled around, former Chelsea, Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur boss and global icon Jose Mourinho found himself in the hotseat in Istanbul, as all of a sudden, Osayi-Samuel was working under one of the best coaches in Europe.

Regarding Mourinho, Osayi-Samuel said: "The first day when I met him, before even having a chance to say ‘hi’, he told me, ‘You’re a good player — but need to run more.'

"I was so nervous before meeting him. I asked some of the players, ‘How is he?’ just so I didn’t say something that could be wrong.

"But when you actually speak to him, he’s like your brother. He makes you feel cool, calm and asks a lot of questions about your family and background."

The Nigerian would go on to make 39 appearances under the current Real Madrid boss at Fenerbahce before both left in the summer of 2025, with Osayi-Samuel, now possessing the knowledge Mourinho had taught him, headed to Birmingham, as Davies and the Blues are reaping the rewards from his experience in Istanbul.

What have you made of Osayi-Samuel this season? Are you surprised by how good he has been? Share your thoughts below!

Chris Davies will be hoping for continued Bright Osayi-Samuel impact at Birmingham City as Queens Park Rangers won't be surprised

This season, the Championship is as competitive as it has ever been, and any side with ambitions of breaking into the top eight this year will have a tough task ahead of them, including Birmingham.

However, Blues have shown they can compete with the very best in this division already this campaign, and if they are to achieve any success this time around, Osayi-Samuel will likely be key to those efforts.

Birmingham supporters may well be surprised by just how good the Nigerian has been at St Andrews, though neither QPR nor Jose Mourinho will be based off past evidence.