Former Everton attacker James McFadden says Alex McLeish was the key to his decision to sign with Birmingham City.

"It wasn't a tough decision," he said, "because as soon as I knew Alex McLeish was interested and he showed the levels of commitment he did, it was easy for me.

"The first attraction was the manager - because I have worked with him before and know what to expect. He seemed to get the best out of me when I played for Scotland and hopefully he can continue to do that on a weekly basis. He instils a lot of confidence in you and a lot of belief which are the main qualities I think he has.

"The experience I had with him at Scotland was great and he did well for me. To pay that sort of money for me was massive and just shows how much he wanted me and hopefully I can repay him.

"It is a big challenge and a chance to play regularly and hopefully I can rise to it."

McFadden proved at Goodison that he was capable of playing the starring role when called upon. But he did leave with a tinge of regret, feeling that he may not have always have been given a fair crack of the whip.

He added: "I thought I did all right at Everton when I played. Some games I did play poorly and deserved to be left out but I thought there were times I didn't deserve to be left out. That was because I was filling in.

"It was a great experience for me at Everton - I learned a lot and improved greatly as a player in my time there. But at the same time it was an opportunity missed because I would have loved to have been playing every week and been a part of the success they had."