I was delighted that Joe Hart signed on loan until the end of the season from Manchester City. I think he’s a top goalkeeper and one I think is going to be a world class stopper in the years to come. It was nice of him to say that when he joined Birmingham, it was because of me. I’m honoured he would say something like that and I am determined to get Joe performing on a regular basis and hopefully after a successful season with us he can make England’s World Cup squad next summer.

It’s a fantastic challenge for both of us, firstly to get Joe playing well in the Birmingham City first team, which will help us stay in the Premier League but at the same time our other challenge is to get Joe on the plane to South Africa next summer.

He’s a young boy with his own goals and knows where he wants to be so it’s great to have someone so determined to succeed. He has a very open mind when it comes to the modern world – he works with Prozone and watches video playbacks of his matches and training sessions to develop his game. He is a very determined lad and I hope we can make him a much better goalkeeper. Keep an eye out on his developments over the season.