Mikael Forssell admits he wouldn't be at Birmingham City if Steve Bruce had remained in charge.

Forssell is grateful for the backing he's received from Alex McLeish and said: "I rate Steve Bruce in many ways but last year he didn't have that trust in me so I thought I would have to go somewhere else.

"I always knew I was going to come back from my knee injury last season but I was in the reserves, we were in the Championship and I wasn't getting picked at all.

"I still worked as hard as I could because I was thinking of getting away. You know that someone, somewhere will want you. Now I have had that bit of luck and found a manager who does have trust in me.

"You have to have self-belief and never stop trying."