A return to the Premier League for Birmingham City will be based on the solidity of their back line, with Liam Ridgewell in particular pleasing manager Alex McLeish.

He told the Birmingham Mail. "He's a decent centre-half, he brings us great balance on that left side and he's maturing as well.

"You like to think that the older he gets the more he knows the responsibilities of a centre-half, a centre-half you as a manager sitting in the dugout can trust and you know you don't have to worry about.

"Ridge, I think, is starting to show that consistency and maturity."