Saturday, September 22, 2007

Pennant Pinpointed As Reds Dangerman


Birmingham boss Steve Bruce is wary of the threat posed by winger Jermaine Pennant when he takes his side to Liverpool on Saturday.

Bruce handed Pennant a career lifeline when he signed him from Arsenal and stood by him after he was jailed for motoring offences.

Pennant's form for Birmingham earned him a dream move to Liverpool last summer and Bruce said: "He seems to have knuckled down and did well to get a move to such a top club as Liverpool.

"He appears to have behaved himself since joining Liverpool and made himself into a really good player.

"No-one doubts his ability. He has taken on added responsibility and I felt that in the European Cup final he was their best player.

"Going to prison certainly gave him a wake-up call.

"He was a fantastic player for us and he is a genuinely a good kid.

"After leaving Birmingham he gave me a Liverpool shirt but it does not go down too well in my house," added former Manchester United skipper Bruce.

Bruce believes he has got a more than able replacement for Pennant in the shape of Sebastian Larsson.

"We sold Jermaine to Liverpool for £8million and we brought in Seb Larsson from Arsenal for £1million to replace him," said Bruce. "Seb has been a great replacement for us and he has been a fantastic signing.

"He scored nine goals last season and played a key role in us winning promotion.

"He probably had his best game of the season in the 1-0 win over Bolton last Saturday.

"He is keen to prove himself in the Premier League and he is turning out to be a great replacement for Pennant."

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