David Gold is confident new boss Alex McLeish can take Birmingham "on to the next level" after taking the managerial reins at St Andrews.McLeish was unveiled on Wednesday after quitting as Scotland boss to sign a three-and-a-half-year contract with the Premier League strugglers.

McLeish, who consulted Sir Alex Ferguson and Walter Smith before taking the job, becomes only the fourth manager appointed by Blues chairman Gold and co-owner David Sullivan in their 15 years at the helm.

He will meet the players for the first time on Thursday and then begin preparations for the opening match of his reign against Tottenham at White Hart Lane on Sunday.

Gold said: "We have been fortunate with our managers and with each different one, we feel that Birmingham have moved forward.

"Barry Fry took over when we were virtually in the old Third Division and got us promoted. He made winning the Autoglass Windscreens Trophy at Wembley seem like winning the World Cup.

"That was his skill. When we got promoted and won the division, he made it feel like we had won the Champions League.

"Trevor Francis came in and a lot of people said he was a sober person but he provided stability and systems and he gave us five fantastic years and came so close many times to getting promoted to the Premier League.

"Then Steve Bruce took things on again. He got us into the Premier League, kept us there for four years and, after we went down, got us straight back up again.

"We have had remarkable longevity with our managers. They have been here a remarkable length of time when you consider the way things change in football these days.

"We feel that with each tenure we have moved forward and I truly believe Alex McLeish can take us to that next level."

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