Connal Trueman: Birmingham City goalkeeper, 21, signs three-year contract

Birmingham City keeper Connal Trueman has made 41 appearances for Blues' Under-23 development squad, 24 of them this season

Birmingham City's Under-23 goalkeeper Connal Trueman has signed a three-year contract with the Championship club.

Birmingham-born Trueman, 21, is still to make a first-team appearance.

But he has made Blues' bench five times this season, covering for Adam Legzdins when first-choice keeper Tomasz Kuszczak was injured in September.

He first made Blues' matchday squad in 2015-16 for the penultimate game against Middlesbrough - and now hopes for further progression in 2017-18.

"It's time for me to start playing competitive men's league football," the former King Edward VI Aston schoolboy told Blues' club website.

"Hopefully that's at Birmingham City, or it could be going out on loan."

Having started the season with Kevin Poole as his goalkeeping coach, prior to Gary Rowett's sacking as manager, he is now under Kevin Hitchcock, who was kept on by Harry Redknapp following Gianfranco Zola's departure.

"It was good when Harry Redknapp came in and Kev Hitchcock stayed as there was a bit of continuity there," he said. "But I had good working relationships with Kevin Poole and Kev. I've learned a lot under both."