Bruce: Clinton reminds me of Cole

13 April 2012

Steve Bruce has compared Birmingham City's record signing Clinton Morrison to "a young Andy Cole" - and believes he can score the goals which will keep them in the Premiership.

Blues manager Bruce knows all about Cole's early days from when they played together at Manchester United.

And he has faith in Morrison to go on and enjoy a similar sort of career after his £4million switch from Crystal Palace to St Andrews was finally completed.

It means Bruce has finally got his number one striker target, for whom Blues lodged an initial bid just three days after clinching promotion at the Millennium Stadium via the play-off win over Norwich in mid May.

Morrison joins Robbie Savage, Aliou Cisse and his Republic of Ireland team-mate Kenny Cunningham in joining Blues this summer and Bruce is looking to bring in a couple more new faces before the big kick off at Arsenal on August 18.

Bruce said: "This first season is vital to us. It is going to be extremely tough but, with the people we've got in, we've got a chance to try and survive and I am convinced that Clinton can score the goals which will help us stay in the Premiership.

"His record shows he has scored a goal nearly every two games. He got 70 odd in 170 games for Palace in four seasons, two of which saw them struggling, but it is not just his goal-scoring that impresses me.

"He has all-round football ability. He's got good feet, good awareness is quick. He reminds me of a young Andy Cole in the way he finishes, the way he moves, his intelligent runs off the ball etc.

"If he has the career that Andy has had - which I am convinced he can - then he will have done fine."

Morrison, who was a schoolboy at Tottenham at the same time as Peter Crouch of Aston Villa, is not lacking in confidence and said: "It is a challenge and I am ready to take it.

"It will be a dream to come true to play in the Premiership. I've only 10 minutes' experience of it for Palace although I did score in that time with my only touch against Sheffield Wednesday.

"I am just going to try and do the best I can and in the Premiership you might only get one or two chances in a game which means you have to be on your toes and make sure you put them away.

"I am confident I can do a job at this level and I've done well in the cups against the likes of Liverpool, Sunderland, Leicester and Newcastle.

"I also want to repay the faith that Steve Bruce and the rest of the club have shown by signing me."

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