Neil Kilkenny insists he is ready should Steve Bruce need his services against Liverpool.
Birmingham midfielder Neil Kilkenny insists he is ready should Steve Bruce need his services against Liverpool at the weekend.The talented youngster is vying for a starting place and could be promoted to first team duties, due to a spate of injuries and suspensions to senior players at St Andrews.
Kilkenny has experience of first team football, having enjoyed a successful loan spell at Oldham last season, and is confident that he can prove a success in The Premiership.
The diminutive schemer played and impressed in midweek against Scunthorpe in the Carling Cup and is ready to pit his wits against Steven Gerrard on Saturday.
"I was quite pleased with how it went against Scunthorpe and felt I did what the manager required me to do,'' said Kilkenny.
"It will be a different sort of game tomorrow if I am involved.
"But if I get a chance I'll respond and do the best I can. I played against Bolton and Man City in the FA Cup when on loan to Oldham and held my own against some top players.
"I won't be nervous tomorrow if I play and any player would want to test himself against the best.
"I would love to go against Steven Gerrard as he has got everything."
Blues boss Bruce admits he is undecided whether to give youth its head or elect to use the experienced Olivier Telby alongside Damien Johnson in his engine room.
"Kilkenny is in the equation - it is either the option of putting the young kid in or playing Tebily in the middle of the park,'' said Bruce.
"Neil is young and they are not fazed and he has been knocking on the door. I'll make my mind up in the next 24 hours. You have to be careful it's not too much.
"It's a big, big ask but in terms of ability I wouldn't be frightened of putting him in because we think he is ready.
"We were able to let Anderton go because Kilkenny had made such good progress this year.
"He has improved so much to allow us to let Anderton go and bring him into the first team squad. We think he has got a chance."
