Michel to get time to settle at Birmingham

Miguel Marcos Michel, the Spanish midfielder who has become Birmingham’s first signing since Carson Yeung’s takeover of the club, will not be rushed into Premier League action, Blues boss Alex McLeish has signalled.

Michel, 24, who completed a three-million-pound transfer from Sporting Gijon on Monday, faces a battle to establish himself in a midfield in which experienced pair Barry Ferguson and Lee Bowyer have been outstanding in Birmingham’s 13-match unbeaten run.

And McLeish believes his newest recruit will need time to settle into English life and football.

“Sometimes it’s not easy for a player, especially coming from a foreign country, to come in and hit the ground running,” the former Scotland boss said.

“He’ll need time to get to know his team-mates and see the sort of demands we ask from players in training.

“We can also see if we can add a wee bit to his game and improve him all round as a player.

“But the bonus is that, because we’re doing so well, he has got additional time to settle.”

McLeish first attempted to sign Michel before the start of the season and he was relieved that Yeung’s financial backing finally made the deal possible.

“I’m very pleased he’s signed as I’ve been tracking him for over a year,” the Scot added. “I’ve added a player who is unfazed in taking the ball in any company.

“He’s played at the Bernabeu and the Nou Camp and has acquitted himself well, so he’s a technical player who can definitely strengthen the squad.

“He has good quality, is only 24, has got good legs and is a player for now but also the future.”

Stoke have agreed to loan former captain Andy Griffin to Championship club Reading until the end of the season. Griffin, 30, has made only three appearances for Stoke this season, all of them in the League Cup.

“There is a lot of competition for places in the squad and Andy is obviously desperate to play first team football,” said Potters boss Tony Pulis. “A move to Reading is a great opportunity for him to go out and play regularly in the Championship.”

Aston Villa boss Martin O’Neill meanwhile has assured Nicky Shorey, the former England full-back who is thriving on loan at Nottingham Forest, that he is not planning to off-load him permanently.

O’Neill said: “Selling Nicky is not something that I am looking to do at this minute and nothing concrete has developed. If there was an offer, I would sit down with Nicky and his agent to discuss it but I am not actively seeking (to sell him).”

Shorey was loaned to Forest after losing his place in the Villa line-up to summer signing Stephen Warnock but O’Neill believes the defender may yet live up to his early promise.

“I think going forward he has done very well and if he tightens up his game defensively, he has loads to offer,” the Villa manager added.