Birmingham City's Craig Gardner unsure over future

Gardner made 14 appearances for the England Under-21 side

Birmingham City midfielder Craig Gardner has admitted his future at the club is uncertain after Alex McLeish's resignation as manager.

The 24-year-old was top scorer with 10 goals in his first full season as City were relegated from the Premier League.

"Everything is up in the air at the moment. I'm unsure exactly what is happening behind the scenes and what the board are thinking," he said.

"At the end of the day, like every player, I have to think of my career."

Lifelong Blues fan Gardner signed from city rivals Aston Villa for £3m in January 2010.

But despite their Carling Cup victory over Arsenal in February and their subsequent qualification for Europe, following Birmingham's relegation on the final day of the 2010/11 season, Gardner has been linked with a £5m move to Sunderland.

The man who brought the midfielder to St Andrew's, Alex McLeish, is now the subject of a bitter battle between Villa, who want to interview him for their managerial vacancy, and the Blues, who have accused their rivals of "tapping him up".

Gardner believes McLeish's departure is a big blow, admitting: "It's a sad loss for Birmingham and it's not a good start to the summer.

"For me, Alex McLeish was great. He showed a lot of faith in me, signing me from Villa, and my career moved forward from there.

"The club needs to bring in a manager with the kind of credentials and experience Alex McLeish has. Someone like that would fit the bill."