Birmingham City boss Alex McLeish has been delighted with the attitude shown by Lee Bowyer since his arrival.

McLeish admits many people viewed the signing of Bowyer from West Ham last January - initially on loan - as a massive gamble.

But after his winner against Fulham, McLeish said: "When Lee came here, I chatted with him and said 'you are a grown and mature man.'

"He has had to count to 10. He used to have a short fuse. I think he has done well in terms of the red mist. I see it in training sometimes and give a wee reminder and he kind of puts the brakes on. But he is a passionate guy, he plays with passion, plays with great commitment, and is the type of player I love.

"When he first arrived, a lot of people were saying he was not the same player as before and that his legs had gone. But he has proved a lot of people wrong."

McLeish acknowledges playing Bowyer as the advanced midfielder in a 4-5-1 formation earlier in the season did not work but feels he is getting the best from him operating behind two strikers.

He said: "We tried him in that advanced midfield role, with the one up, early in the season and you don't really get the best out of him.

"But, coming deeper from midfield, he is still a threat and he picks his moments. We have told him to pick his moments. He can't do it every single run.

"He is now a mature, intelligent guy with a lot of experience and older players tend to learn from their experiences during the seasons."