Birmingham have signed Barry Ferguson from Rangers for an undisclosed fee in the region of €1.4million. The Scottish champions accepted a bid from the on Wednesday as Blues boss Alex McLeish stepped up his long-standing interest in the former Scotland captain.

And the 31-year-old completed the move this afternoon, signing a three-year contract to return to England for the first time since an injury-plagued spell at Blackburn.

Ferguson’s time at Rangers soured last season when he was stripped of the captaincy following a breach of discipline while on international duty.

He returned for the final three games of the season but his future remained in doubt. He joins compatriots McLeish, Garry O’Connor and James McFadden at St Andrews.

McLeish managed Ferguson during his time with Scotland and Rangers and believes the midfielder still has much to offer.

“For me, Barry is a midfielder at his peak. I don’t think 31 is too old for a central midfielder of great experience.

“Players like Gordon Strachan and Gary McAllister continued playing into their late 30s and these were guys who were not afraid of the ball.

“I think Barry can play on for a good few years yet. He’s a guy that always turned up for work. By that I mean that his appearances over the years have always been fantastic.”