Ridgewell dreaming of Wembley

Blues stopper sets sights on cup decider

Defender Liam Ridgewell admits reaching the Carling Cup final at Wembley would be 'massive' for Birmingham.

The Blues take on West Ham in the second leg of the semi-final at St Andrews on Wednesday night, having suffered a 2-1 defeat in the first leg earlier this month.

And 26-year-old Ridgewell says booking their place in the decider is a top priority this season.

Massive

"Getting to Wembley would be massive for us," Ridgewell told The Telegraph. "A lot of players have never been there.

"People talk about the Carling Cup being small, but it's a cup final, a chance to win some silverware and we'd pack Wembley out."

The stopper says Premier League survival is also at the top of the Blues' to-do list, with Alex McLeish's side currently precariously close to the drop zone in 17th.

"The ambition is to get to Wembley and make sure we stay in the Premier League," he added.

"Even at the start of the season, I'd take 17th on goal difference. It's such a big league to be in - the rewards are so great. We must kick on."

Ridgewell has full belief in manager McLeish, insisting the Scotsman is one of Birmingham's key strengths.

"The gaffer is fantastic. He instils belief and resilience into players," he said. "It comes from his own playing days. His passion comes out in his team-talk.

"When he's close to boiling over, you see him trying to keep a calm head and show belief in his players."

Push

McLeish has made no secret of his desire to strengthen his attacking options during this month's transfer window, and Ridgewell feels a new striker could help push the Blues up the table.

"The gaffer has talked about being in the market for a centre-forward and we hope that can power us up the league," he added.

"Cammy [Cameron Jerome] works so hard that sometimes he might be too knackered to get into spaces to get goals."