Birmingham City boss Alex McLeish admits he's a big foodie.

And the Scot says watching cookery shows or eating out at Michelin starred restaurants is a favourite pastime for him and wife Jill.

Among their pals in the business are Masterchef judge Michel Roux junior, who runs Le Gavroche in London.

"Once you start watching programmes like Masterchef you have to watch them to the end," McLeish told the Mirror. "I know Michel from Le Gavroche as we do like nice restaurants and good food.

"I have fortunately met some of these kind of people before and they are top quality. We were in Le Gavroche after the Spurs game and it was a great performance but we lost 2-1.

"My wife said: 'this is beautiful, just think how good it would be if we had got a result'. I am not the best when we have lost a game.

"And even when I am relaxing at home watching a cookery show on TV you still can't get away from football. The problem is when I watch these things that the wife expects me to start emulating them.

"I have made the dinner from time to time over the years but I have never prepared a tasting menu or anything like that. I can prepare a nice prawn cocktail and fillet steak - they were the footballers' staple diet years ago on a Friday night.

"Luckily for me two of Birmingham's best restaurants called Simpsons and Purnell's have chefs who are Birmingham fans and Brian Maule in Glasgow is a pal."