Birmingham City boss Alex McLeish is ready to back striker Kevin Phillips next season.

McLeish has ended his interest in Rangers' Bosman prospect Kris Boyd after securing Phillips to a new one-year deal.

A St Andrews source told the Daily Record: "Kevin has been on fire recently and has grown to accept being used as an impact player from the bench.

"The manager doesn't feel Boyd would be as willing to be used so sparingly and also feels, at his age, he needs to be playing regularly.

"For those reasons, the Boyd deal does not make as much sense to the club now as it once did."