Steve Bruce(II)

Became the manager of Birmingham City FC in December 2001, who were promoted to the Premier League the same season, beating Norwich City on penalties (May 2002) in the First Division play off final with Birmingham-born Darren Carter scoring one of the most important goals in the history of the club.

I managed Sunderland so I have gone across the divide, I know what to expect. I find it funny now because I'm used to it. If you get stick, I take it as a back-handed compliment. I've had 'fathead', I've had 'potatohead' at West Brom, and at Man City it's the Elephant man. It was funny at Liverpool one year. Just after You'll Never Walk Alone they were singing 'Steve Bruce has got a big fat head'. It was raining that day and after 20 years of being there I thought 'I'm going to put my hood up'. There was a mass ovation round the place, I thought 's*** I should have done that 10 years ago'!