A Decent Return On Investment

Determined to shine down south

Garry O'Connor has come back to the UK with something to prove. He is confident that he can grab at least 15 goals in the new season. That will be good news to Birmingham who paid £2.7 million to Lokomotiv Moscow for his services. Assistant manager Eric Black believes his club have signed "a hungry player with a point to prove" after O'Connor signed a three-year contract with an option for another two years. The international moved to Russia from Easter Road in March 2006 but his family were unable to settle in Moscow and he has opted to return to Britain with Steve Bruce's side after just 15 months.

Black said: "This continues our trend of last season when we signed hungry players whose attitude was magnificent and they played a massive part in us getting promoted to the Premiership. Garry is a player who wants to do well in the Premier League, with a point to prove, and we feel he has got the attributes which will make him a Premier League player. He is hungry to do well and we are confident as you can be that he will do well at that level. Lokomotiv offered him a new contract and he did well for them but his family did not settle. Garry has a decent goalscoring record but he is also big, strong and powerful and can do well running down the sides. He has good right and left feet."