ALBION coach Michael Appleton has revealed how close he was to joining Blues as a youngster – thanks to Steve Bruce’s influence.

The current Sunderland boss was then in the final throes of his playing career during Trevor Francis’ reign at St Andrew’s.

Bruce was asked on behalf of Blues to make an inquiry about the young midfielder, who was then with Manchester United.

But Appleton ended up moving to Preston North End, before pitching up at The Hawthorns in 2000.

‘Appy’ believes his former Old Trafford team-mate deserves more credit as a manager.

“I was a young boy just getting into the first-team squad every week when he was captain of the club and playing every week,” Appleton recalled to the Birmingham Mail.

“I was only a young lad but I was in the squad most weeks.

“When he was at Birmingham as a player he played in a testimonial that we played in Norwich for Bryan Gunn and he enquired about me going on loan to Birmingham.

“He went on to be the manager at Birmingham and did ever so well there before going on to other clubs and he is one of the managers who probably doesn’t get the credit he deserves because he has been in the game for a long time and done ever so well at most of the clubs he has been at.