Blues co-owner David Sullivan.

David Sullivan last night warned Robbie Savage he has become Public Enemy No.1 at Birmingham following his move to Ewood Park, writes Martin Rogers in the Mirror.

Speaking to the Mirror Sullivan said: "We told Blackburn that if they wanted him to play at St Andrews against us they would have to pay an extra £100,000 for the police bill.

"It would have had to be the biggest police presence imaginable. Normally there is hardly any police when we play Blackburn but unfortunately he is now Public Enemy No.1

"This is not a good deal for the club but you can't have a player who does not want to be here.

"My message to everyone is that we have got to get on with our lives."

Despite receiving a £3m transfer fee from Rovers, Sullivan was not happy at being forced to let his former favourite player leave. However, the Birmingham owner claimed Steve Bruce's side would be able to comfortably cope without the Welsh midfielder.

Sullivan also took a swipe at Savage and claimed he was a far inferior player to Thomas Gravesen, who moved from Everton to Real Madrid last week.

He added: "You can't stick him in the reserves for three years, can you? You just have to make the best of a bad job.

"Birmingham City is not a one-man club. We have won when he has not been there.

"It is not as much of a blow as it was when Mikael Forssell was ruled out for the season through injury.

"It is a blow and he was our type of player. But he is not in the same league as Gravesen. We offered Gravesen £35,000 a week but he decided to go to Real Madrid and you can't blame him for that."

Robbie Savage at Ewood Park last night.

Savage watched his new club beat Cardiff 3-2 in an FA Cup third round replay last night and then revealed he turned down a late bid by Everton before signing for Rovers.

He said: "Everton made a move for me last Friday but I wanted to come and play for Mark Hughes. He had shown faith in me by bidding so high so I showed faith in him.

"Playing for someone like Mark is a major factor in the move."

PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor has insisted that Robbie Savage's move from Birmingham to Blackburn is not a victory for player power, writes the Sporting Life.

Birmingham chairman David Gold has claimed football club contracts are "one-sided" in favour of a player, which is the reason why Savage can now move away from St Andrews.

But Taylor claimed: "David Gold is a man of the world, he is a businessman and he knows the way things work.

"He has his opinion but it is not a question of player power.

Blues chairman David Gold.

"The player would not be going anywhere unless he had the consent of the club. This type of thing goes on among all clubs.

"David knows the way of the world. Birmingham might also have to play the same game to get a player.

"The fact there is a contract in place enabled the club to ask for an amount of money that, if Robbie Savage were out of contract this summer, they would never get.

"By offering him and giving him that contract they have got themselves a good deal now.

"You also have to remember the other side of it in that players sign a contract with one manager and then a new manager comes in and he is made available when he doesn't want to be."

But Gold insisted: "The reality is that in any other walk of life, had anybody signed such a contract, it would have been binding. In this instance it clearly is not.

"This is not a Bosman situation, with a player being able to walk away for free at the end of the season. It's simply player power.

"Most people have respected their contract but sadly, in this case, it's not happening.

"This is not just about Robbie Savage. The issue at stake is that these contracts are so one-sided."