Birmingham City FC

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• Manager:Alex McLeish

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McLeish happy to land Gardner

26 Jan 2010 - 15:54:08

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Birmingham City have wrapped up the signing of Aston Villa midfielder Craig Gardner in a £3million deal.

The versatile 23-year-old has signed a four-and-a-half year contract at St Andrew's, having opted to leave Villa Park in search of regular first-team football.

Blues boss Alex McLeish told the Birmingham Mail: "We have to have a squad of players and it is enhancing the quality as you go along - Craig Gardner will enhance the quality of the squad.

"From two years ago to now, this is a major signing for us because we wouldn't have been able to do this two seasons ago.

"We are adding a player who is dynamic, can play in a couple of positions and is bursting to play for Birmingham and therein lies the key in terms of characteristics going into the dressing room.

"He is another great character."

England Under-21 international Gardner scored six times in 80 appearances for Villa, but made just two starts this season before opting to move on.