Birmingham City legend Trevor Francis hopes fans do not get carried away with this season's successful return to the Premiership.

Francis has held talks with Blues' new owners about becoming an ambassador for the club only for nothing definite to be decided.

He told the Birmingham Mail: "Listen, it is going to be more difficult next season than it was this season.

"You have only got to ring Steve Coppell up and ask him what it was like at Reading, when you get the second-season syndrome.

"And there are reasons for that. Because undoubtedly there are going to be players at the club who want new contracts, they are going to want bigger contracts, there are going to be players here who have taken the eye of some of the bigger teams in the Premier League, and they will have their heads turned, their agents will be telling them they can earn X amount extra if they went elsewhere.

"So all these things come into play. So Alex, I'm sure, is fully aware that next season will be more difficult than this one. A repeat of this season would be more than acceptable."