Barwell youngster Brady Hickey will spend three days training with Town, the Evo-Stik League Northern Premier Division side’s manager Jimmy Ginnelly has revealed.
Blues boss Mick McCarthy contacted the non-league club about the highly-rated 19-year-old central midfielder, while another Barwell youngster Alex Tomkinson is set to play for Birmingham’s U21s next week.
"It’s great for the two lads, obviously I don’t want to lose them but it’s a great opportunity for them both,” Ginnelly told the Hinckley Times.
Hickey, a former England schoolboy international, joined Barwell in the summer having previously been with another Midlands non-league side, St Andrew’s.
A student at Loughborough University, Hickey has scored 10 goals and claimed six assists in 30 appearances this season and has been described as a "non-league version of Frank Lampard” by his current manager.
Hickey’s performances have attracted the interest of a host of clubs in addition to the Blues, including Middlesbrough, Leeds, Barnsley, Sheffield Wednesday, Wolves, Burnley, Mansfield and Oxford. He recently spent time on trial with Leicester City.
Town manager McCarthy has previously had notable successes when dipping into non-league having signed Michael Kightly from Grays when Wolves manager and picking up Tyrone Mings from Chippenham Town for the Blues for £10,000 and selling him in an £8 million deal in the summer.
Grays Athletic striker Dumebi Dumaka recently spent time training with the Blues but the Town boss opted not to take his interest any further, while Ebbsfleet youngster Shilow Tracey played a game for the U21s but picked up an injury and was set to return for a further stint at Playford Road.