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Tainio open to permanent deal

Image: Tainio: Happy at Birmingham

On-loan midfielder Teemu Tainio has admitted he would like to earn a long-term contract with Birmingham.

Midfielder enjoying loan spell

On-loan midfielder Teemu Tainio has admitted he would like to earn a long-term contract with Birmingham. The Finland international has joined Alex McLeish's side on a season-long loan from Sunderland after falling down the pecking order at the Stadium of Light. Tainio had been targeted by Blues when he was still at Tottenham in January 2008 but he admits it was not the right time for him to come to St Andrews. He is enjoying his current spell with the Midlands club and insists he would be open to a permanent switch. "I didn't want to come that time. We had the Carling Cup final and I was playing at Spurs," Tainio told the Birmingham Mail. "So it wasn't right. I know Birmingham tried but I wasn't ready to move. Tainio added: "My aim (now) is to keep Birmingham in the Premier League and maybe earn myself a long contract here. "It's maybe a little bit early to say now but why not, if I keep playing and we do well."

Dann

Birmingham defender Scott Dann, meanwhile, has admitted he tried to return from injury too quickly following a minor knee operation in the summer. "It was my own eagerness - and obviously the manager has brought me and was keen to see me - but I said I wanted to join in and joined in too much, and it backfired," he said. "It's been horrible. Had I been here a while, I would have taken a little bit of time. "But when you come to a new club you want to impress and show everyone what you can do."

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