Birmingham City will always thank Steve Bruce for £50k Blackburn Rovers masterstroke | OneFootball

Damien Johnson would go on to become captain at Birmingham City - earning promotion twice during his time as a Blue

Steve Bruce cuts a mixed figure among Birmingham City fans thanks to his spell as Aston Villa manager – but there is one thing Bluenoses will always thank their former boss for.

Bruce brought in Damien Johnson from Blackburn Rovers for a paltry transfer fee in March 2002, with the defender soon going on to become a cult figure for Blues fans.

Whilst nowadays, transfer fees have escalated to incredulous numbers, £50,000 was not a huge fee even back in 2002.

Steve Bruce should receive credit from Birmingham City fans for Damien Johnson capture

Bruce’s time at Birmingham was extremely up and down.

Having previously featured for the Blues during his playing career, representing Birmingham 76 times, Bruce returned to St Andrew’s to manage the side midway through the 2001/02 season.

By the end of that campaign, Bruce had led them to victory in the Championship play-off final, going on to experience four straight seasons in the Premier League.

However, Birmingham finished the 2005/06 season in 18th place and suffering relegation to the Championship, but Bruce was given the chance to restore Birmingham’s top-flight status the next season, rewarding the Blues’ loyalty by earning automatic promotion from the Championship.

Years after his exit in 2011, Bruce’s image in the blue half of Birmingham was further tainted when he was named Aston Villa boss in October 2016.

But Bruce will always receive credit from the Blues faithful for bringing Johnson to the club.

It would have been an emotional time for Johnson ahead of his move to Birmingham City. With his contract expiring at the end of the 2001/02 season, Johnson was made available for transfer around the time of Rovers’ League Cup final.

Blackburn defeated Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, with Johnson omitted from the matchday squad despite featuring – and scoring – during their League Cup run.

With Johnson available on the cheap, Bruce and Birmingham swooped in - paying just £50,000.

Instantly, Johnson came into Birmingham’s starting XI, eventually helping the side to promotion to the Premier League.

Although Johnson featured in eight of Birmingham’s final 10 league games, he was an unused substitute as the Blues beat Norwich City in the play-off final at the Millennium Stadium in South Wales.

Damien Johnson: Rocky time as Birmingham City captain

Upon promotion to the Premier League, Johnson remained a key figure.

In each of Bruce’s four top-flight seasons in charge of the Blues, Johnson made over 30 appearances in the Premier League.

Overall, Johnson would make 215 appearances for Birmingham, receiving praise for his hard work in the heart of the midfield.

In Bruce’s final full season as Blues boss, Johnson was named as club captain.

Like any footballer's career, there were ups and downs for Johnson and Birmingham.

Johnson managed to provoke the ire of supporters when he threw the captain’s armband to the floor after being substituted during a Championship match against Crystal Palace in 2006.

However, an apology directly from Johnson helped smooth the incident over – with the midfielder underlining his commitment to the shirt when he played with a broken jaw against local rivals West Bromwich Albion in the following weeks.

That was just one instance of many times Johnson played through the pain barrier to represent Birmingham, endearing himself to the Blues fanbase.

By paying Blackburn £50,000, Birmingham received a loyal warrior who gave his all for the shirt every time he played in an eight-year stint at St. Andrew's.

It is no surprise that in 2007 Bruce made the following claim: “I’ve had him with me for five years and I will never spend another £50,000 like I did on him.”