Birmingham manager Alex McLeish is hoping to give club owner Carson Yeung "the best birthday present ever" by lifting the Carling Cup.
Hong Kong businessman Yeung, who took control of Blues 16 months ago, will be 51 on Sunday - the day McLeish's side meet Arsenal in the final at Wembley. He will be flying in for the final as City attempt to secure their first major trophy for 48 years - since winning the first League Cup in 1963.
McLeish said: "Carson has had a great run since he came in here. It's almost like a lucky mascot thing. The final will be momentous for Carson, not least because it is his birthday. We would all love to give him the best birthday present ever."
He added: "We had a great finish to last season in finishing ninth in the Premier League and now we are in the Carling Cup final.
"I just hope if we win this, he will not be looking for me to win the Champions League next year!
"It's been a great couple of years for the owners and Carson's commitment has been enormous."
McLeish won 19 trophies in Scotland as a player and manager and believes overcoming the Gunners would be on a par with those achievements.
He said: "It would be massive success in terms of the size of Birmingham as opposed to a massive club like Glasgow Rangers.
"The successes I had in Glasgow were against a fantastic Celtic team. They were two really good Old Firm teams that could easily have graced the Barclays Premier League without question.
"During that time, Celtic, of course, took a couple of English scalps in their run to the UEFA Cup final when they beat Liverpool and Blackburn. That showed their pedigree. In relative terms, winning the Carling Cup would be up there in terms of those triumphs in Scotland."
Source: PA
