Jonathan Spector could be headed to MLS, according to Birmingham City manager Gianfranco Zola.
Zola told reporters on Tuesday that the 30-year-old defender may want to return to the United States in the near future. His contract with Birmingham expires in six months.
“There might be a request for Jonathan Spector to go back home and that case is something I have to consider,” Zola said. “He has been a very loyal player for this club, in six months his contract is going to be up and if we can help him with something we will try to do that, he deserves that.
“I cannot say about the team but there might be the possibility that Jonathan will be going back home and that’s the reason why we are active in [looking for right backs] – possibly in this transfer window.”
Birmingham’s longest tenured player, Spector has made 179 appearances since signing for the English Championship club on a free transfer from West Ham United in the summer of 2011. He’s spent his entire career in England, turning pro with Manchester United in 2003 before moving to West Ham in 2006.
A Chicago-area native, Spector has 36 career caps with the US men’s national team and was a member of the US team at the 2010 World Cup. Primarily used as a right back but capable of playing as a central defender, he’s started 22 of Birmingham’s 26 league matches this season.
