Garry O'Connor say he is confident that he has put his injury problems behind him ahead of next season's campaign

During the close season the Blues striker has taken it upon himself to return to his native Scotland, where he has been undertaking intensive training with ex-Hibernian fitness coach Dougie Fowler.

"Two summers ago, I worked with Dougie and I went back to score in every pre-season game and then got something like five in eight in the league before I was injured again," O'Connor told the Evening Post newspaper.

"I was really flying then, feeling very strong and was running away from the others in training but I'd say I'm now ten per cent fitter than then so I'm sure the boys at Birmingham will see a difference.

"I'm out twice a day with Dougie, and then an hour or 90 minutes in the gym.

"Dougie and I just seemed to click when we were at Hibs, he has that ability to get the best out of me, to get me to a level without breaking me, he's absolutely fantastic at what he does."

The 27-year-old has had a stop start career at Blues since his move from Lokomotiv Moscow in 2007 and he feels that most of his injury problems stemmed from his time at the Russian outfit

"We'd train on them every day and play on them at least twice a week, twisting and turning and in the cold. That's what Alex McLeish puts it down to," he said.

"I've been really depressed at how little football I've been playing. I've had five operations over the last two years around my groin and hip areas but now I am absolutely flying.

"I reckon I'm now in the best shape in the last five years, my sharpness is back as is my strength and I'm feeling really positive."