Bruce braced for Heskey bid

Bruce is regarded as one of the best motivators in the business and Houllier has admitted that anyone who can find the key to unlock Heskey's power and talent on a regular basis will be lucky indeed.

'He can achieve a lot more,' Liverpool's French boss said at the start of the season. ' Sometimes you have to take the psychological shackles off him. Emile is quick, strong, can hold the ball and turn people. When he has confidence, he can achieve a lot more.

'Sometimes when he doesn't score he still gets involved. If he scores 15 goals and is involved in 15 then I'm happy. Emile didn't score as many as he should have done last season. He needs to come out of his shell.'

Despite Morrison's willing running, Forssell has suffered through not having a genuine target man who can occupy defenders and allow him to flourish in the penalty area. Birmingham's next highest scorer is midfielder Bryan Hughes, who has scored five so far in the Premiership.

Birmingham are trying to tie Forssell to a second year's loan from Chelsea and, despite a lack of quality co-strikers, he has gathered 16 top-flight goals, just two behind Manchester United's Ruud van Nistelrooy.

But Birmingham are facing stiff competition from Middlesbrough for Heskey. Boro boss Steve McClaren made a move for the man he sees regularly on international duty with England shortly before the transfer window closed at the end of January.

Only a disparity in personal terms prevented a move then. But McClaren clearly feels Michael Ricketts is not the man to push Middlesbrough where he wants them to go.

Heskey may also be attracted by the fact that Boro have qualified for the UEFA Cup having won the Carling Cup.

On the other hand, Birmingham, at present in sixth place, are still very much in the hunt for a European place themselves - either in the Champions League or UEFA Cup - plus Heskey would be returning to his native Midlands.

He will already know midfielder Robbie Savage from their days together at Filbert Street and could commute from any base in Leicestershire.

That, and the progress made by Bruce and his ambitious board of directors since the club's arrival in the Premiership almost two years ago, will be difficult to ignore.