KEVIN Phillips has revealed Birmingham could lose up to 10 players following their relegation from the Premier League.

The veteran striker admits there are a lot of players who will want to remain in the top flight and Phillips, who is out of contract at St Andrew’s, also doubts whether the young players being developed by City will be good enough to fill the gaps.

The 37-year-old said: “A part of me fears for Birmingham because there is a lot of players in that dressing room of a certain age, 28 or 29, who want to stay in the Premier League.

“It’s only natural, so part of me fears that they could lose eight or nine players. There could be up to 10 players leaving the club.

“It’s whether they can replace them with the quality that’s going to get them back into the Premier League because of the young players coming through at Birmingham I don’t see an awful lot there.

“There are maybe two, three or four (that could make it). The players getting produced there are not great. But they have certainly got a manager in place (Alex McLeish) who can get the best out of their players.”