Alex McLeish heralds new Birmingham City signing Jean Beausejour
Sep 8 2010 by Colin Tattum, Birmingham Mail
ALEX McLeish is sure that Jean Beausejour (pictured with McLeish and Martin Jiranek) can bring something extra to the table for Birmingham City.
The Chile World Cup star is a different kind of winger to those already at his disposal.
Beausejour, signed from Mexican side Club America for around £3.3 million, is more of a throwback.
“Yes, we believe he can perhaps provide us with something we haven’t got,” admitted McLeish.
“He’s quick, he’s explosive, he can change pace. He’s got a great delivery of crossed balls and he’s very much a team player, in the games that I’ve seen with Chile.
“The one game I saw, recently, against Man City with his club America, he certainly fits the bill.
“He looks hungry, he is desperate to show what he can do in the Premier League. I think we have signed three good guys.”
McLeish was referring to his other transfer deadline day captures Aleksandr Hleb and Martin Jiranek.
That pair have a more well-known pedigree than Beausejour, although the 26-year-old did an excellent turn in the World Cup finals in South Africa.
McLeish said: “He had a tremendous World Cup. He was Chile’s star player against Spain. He showed his speed and strength, and also throughout the tournament he would not shirk his other [defensive] duties.” Chile went out in the round of 16, beaten 3-0 by Brazil. Beausejour, whose best position is wide left, has had two spells in Europe before, with Servette in Switzerland (2004) and Gent (2006), of Belgium.
Jiranek attracted plenty of interest after impressing in Russia with Spartak Moscow.
