Adan George

George was born in Birmingham, where he attended Handsworth Grammar School.[2] He was a member of West Bromwich Albion's academy[3] before joining Birmingham City's in 2015.[2] He took up a scholarship with the club in July 2018.[1] According to coach Steve Spooner, he "is very quick, very powerful and needs to recognise that is his strength. It's about using his strengths and imposing himself on the opponents. But he is capable of scoring goals. He is very direct. He has to work on the technical side of the game, like a lot of the boys."[4] The player agreed that his pace and power were his best qualities, and felt he needed to improve his composure and dribbling.[2]

He was one of a number of Birmingham youth players who spent a few weeks on loan at non-league clubs in late 2018. He joined Bromsgrove Sporting of the Southern League Division One Central,[5] and made one senior appearance, as a second-half substitute in a 3–0 defeat away to Coleshill Town on 1 January 2019, before returning to his parent club.[6] Although his season was interrupted by injury, he scored eight goals from five matches for Birmingham's under-18s,[7] and played for their under-23 team that reached the final of its division, in which they finished as runners-up in the 2018–19 Professional Development League Northern Section but lost out to Leeds United on penalties for the overall title.[8] His performances attracted attention from Premier League clubs,[9] and his goalscoring in Birmingham's 2019–20 FA Youth Cup run, combined with his not having signed a professional contract, meant interest heightened. By April 2020, when the club made him an offer of professional terms, Spooner described him as having "a physique like a middleweight boxer and you get him running in the channels against you, when he uses his strength as well as his pace, then he causes a problem."[7]

In July 2020, George signed a two-year contract with Birmingham City, with an option for a third year.[10] He made his first-team debut in the opening match of Birmingham's 2020–21 season, playing the whole of the 1–0 defeat at home to Cambridge United in the EFL Cup.[11] The Birmingham Mail thought he "showed some impressive hold up play and strength with his back to goal but didn't have much joy when he got turned" in what was a promising debut.[12] He made his first appearance in the Football League a week later, as a second-half substitute in the opening match of the Championship season.[13]

That was his last appearace before joining League Two club Walsall on 16 October on loan until 3 January 2021.[14] He was among the substitutes for two league and two cup matches, but remained unused.[15]

As of match played 5 January 2021