Alex Hleb has no doubts Birmingham City are on the rise.
Blues boss Alex McLeish pulled off something of a coup by recruiting the former Arsenal midfielder on a season-long loan from Barcelona.
Hleb said of his new side: "Birmingham have shown stable results and Alex McLeish is a good manager.
"Of course, they are not Arsenal, who play every year in the group stage of the Champions League. But for me it is now important to play and return to my previous level.
"Over the past year and a half much has gone wrong. The deal with Birmingham is my chance, which I must take."