'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.

'Barry has got the culture of the true-grit Brit, who will go through brick walls to play football.

'He has a winning mentality, and that is proven by all the winners' medals he has won,' the Birmingham manager said.

Ferguson's one previous spell in the Premier League, with Blackburn Rovers, was hampered by injury.