Steve Bruce talking to the Journal speaks about nearly quitting Birmingham City to take over at Newcastle:

Birmingham City boss Steve Bruce has admitted he nearly quit at the start of the 2003-04 season to take over at Newcastle.

The former Manchester United defender was an avid supporter of the Magpies as a youngster.

Bruce said: “People associate me with Manchester United but I am a Newcastle United fan, my family is from Newcastle and I used to crawl under the turnstiles to watch them play. I had the chance to manage them but felt loyalty to the people I work for here at Birmingham.

Bruce has now been in charge at St Andrew’s for five years and would like to complete a decade at the helm.

“The five years seem to have gone in a flash,” said Bruce, who led the side to the Premiership in his first season but suffered relegation last term. “Let’s hope I can do another five years, that’s the aim.”

Chairman Freddy Shepherd has spoken of his delight with manager Glenn Roeder over the past few weeks, Shepherd said:

“I have supported Newcastle United for over 50 years but never in that time can I recall such a run of injuries as we are experiencing now.

“Yet in my meetings with Glenn Roeder, I have to say he has never used this as an excuse for any bad performance and he has always kept his head up and in recent weeks.

“The manager, his staff and the players have really done a fantastic job for this football club in the most difficult of circumstances.

“This is our 29th game of the season so far, and to have an unbeaten eight-match run when we have been playing in the Premiership and kept our hopes alive in Europe and the Carling Cup at the same time is some achievement.

“This was always going to be a difficult season for us going into it for the first time without Alan Shearer and then Michael Owen being injured before a ball was kicked, and while obviously we are looking for a higher Premiership placing, the board cannot complain at the recent efforts of the management and players.

“Indeed, if I did not know that Glenn Roeder is a cockney from east London, I would say he was one of us because he shows all the qualities of a Geordie.”