Source: Team_Talk
Ridgewell hails Hart's contribution
Hart joined Blues on a season-long loan from Manchester City to gain regular first-team football after the arrival of Shay Given at Eastlands from Newcastle last January limited his opportunities.He came in for criticism earlier in the season for a couple of misjudgements which led to City conceding goals.But Hart has bounced back from those errors and played a key role in Birmingham chalking up five successive league wins ahead of Sunday's clash with Everton at Goodison Park.Left-back Ridgewell said: "It was disappointing when Joe got a bit of stick because he came on loan to us and obviously he has got to settle in."To give someone stick so early was disappointing. I think he has proved his worth and he is a fantastic keeper."In two or three games recently, he has not had a lot to do but then made crucial saves."It's like the gaffer (Alex McLeish) said, that a good keeper is someone who hasn't done anything and then they pull off an important save."He has been fantastic so far. He has got a good chance of going to the World Cup."Harty is competing with people like Robert Green and Paul Robinson, whom he has faced in the last two games, and has got as good a chance as anyone."Ridgewell believes City deserve to be in the top half of the table given their excellent form and results in recent weeks after being written off pre-season as relegation candidates.But the former Aston Villa player is adamant the players are determined not to get carried away with a run which has brought them wins over Fulham, Wolves, Wigan, West Ham and Blackburn.He said: "I would not have believed we would be in the top six or seven at the start of the season, we have been fantastic in terms of our effort and desire."I think we fully deserve to be where we are and we showed it against Blackburn in midweek with a battling performance. It is a good team at the moment and we've got to keep going."You get a couple of wins and everyone wants to keep winning and that is what confidence does for you. It is fantastic."But we've got to be mindful when you are going strongly and everyone is praising you. We know where we want to be. We won't get carried away."We want to be 17th or above, in the Premier League next season. Anything else is a bonus but first and foremost we want to stay in the league."Ridgewell is enjoying his run at left-back after making an earlier than expected return from the broken leg suffered in April.He said: "People were talking about me being out for 10 months. It is fantastic to be back and I'm loving every minute of it - and loving every minute of winning."McLeish has no fresh injury worries as City look to extend their unbeaten league run to nine games after taking 20 points from the last 24. Everton v Birmingham. Click here to bet.