An emotional Jude Bellingham signed off his Birmingham career as the Blues’ Sky Bet Championship status was secured despite a 3-1 loss against Derby at St. Andrew’s.
A mistake by Derby captain Wayne Rooney which led to Ivan Sunjic’s 56th-minute equaliser appeared to make Blues safe but Charlton’s defeat at Leeds removed the slim possibility of relegation.
Midfielder Bellingham, 17 – who has signed a five-year contract with Borussia Dortmund – missed three first-half chances before departing to what appeared to be cramp in the 75th minute, seemingly in tears.
Birmingham made the worst possible start after conceding from Derby’s opening chance, after just six minutes.
Marc Roberts made a real hash of trying to clear Chris Martin’s harmless looking cross and Graeme Shinnie thumped home a first-time drive from just outside the box.
Martyn Waghorn’s chip dropped over the bar with only Camp to beat when the visitors broke swiftly on a Birmingham corner.
Rooney was at fault with the error that led to Birmingham’s equaliser in the 56th minute.
Whittaker’s first goal came as he stooped to head home beyond Roberts on the line after Birmingham failed to clear a free kick.
Sibley, the substitute, gave the scoreline a rather flattering look in Derby’s favour when he thundered home a rising angled shot from the edge of the box in the second minute of time added on.
