Wolves boss Mick McCarthy isn’t surprised by Birmingham’s rock-solid defence – because he tried to sign both their new centre-backs last summer.

Blues go into the weekend with the Premier League’s fourth meanest defence after leaders Chelsea, champions Manchester United and Villa.

Summer recruits Scott Dann, 22, and ever-present Roger Johnson, 26, have been at the heart of that success, despite neither having played in the Premier League before.

McCarthy missed out on signing on Dann in the summer after Blues agreed to pay the former Walsall defender an extra £6,000 a week, with both clubs agreeing a £3.5million fee with Coventry.

But the Wolves boss also confessed to having Johnson on his hitlist as well – only for the £5million asking price Blues paid to be considered too pricey at the time.

He said: “They’ve been terrific, really solid. Their defensive record doesn’t surprise me because I was interested in signing both of the centre halves.”