Blues back Matt Derbyshire to shine

Birmingham boss Alex McLeish believes Matt Derbyshire is desperate to prove his Premier League mettle after sealing his move to St Andrew's.

The former England under-21 forward is back in the country on a season-long loan after 18 months with Greek club Olympiakos, following his exit from Blackburn.

And McLeish believes the 24-year-old is anxious to prove he can cut it at the top level in his homeland.

He said: "Matt has had his journey in Greece and, from speaking to him, he's so keen to get on that Premier League pitch once more.

"I'm pleased we've got him. I'm glad we've got another signing over the line.

"I think he's shown he can score a goal and he's learned new tricks abroad and hopefully become a more mature footballer. Maybe in his early days at Blackburn Rovers he was seen more as a super-sub.

"But he never did too badly there. Matt's a good player and, with Kevin Phillips out at the moment, I'm sure he will be an asset to us.

"There were other clubs interested because he is a good player, so we're delighted we managed to get it done.

"Matt's got good mobility, he's bright, knows where the goal is at a good age."