... but (shush) he’s still a big Bruce fan

DAVID DUNN scored the last winner for Birmingham City at Villa Park – but he admits it wasn’t his favourite derby goal. Dunn sidefooted a superb strike in December 2004 at their rivals’ ground. But he says the equaliser from Stern John in injury time the previous season eclipsed his own during a triumph he wants to see repeated this lunchtime. Dunn, who signed for Steve Bruce – the current Villa boss – following a £5.5million switch from Blackburn, said: “Damien Johnson crossed the ball and I hit it, first time.

“I knew it was in the moment it left my right foot.

“There isn’t a better feeling for a Birmingham City player, scoring in front of Villa fans, but I don’t think it gave me as much pleasure as Stern’s goal the year before.

“I’d been struggling with injury and came on when we were two down, with about 30 minutes left.

“Until then, we’d been second best. Villa were laughing at us. We hadn’t turned up.

“Anyway, I had the ball out on the left flank. Their players were moaning that it had gone out of play but Mikael Forssell pulled one back.

“Then Stern scored in the last minute. Everyone went wild.”

Dunn, 38, was a confirmed favourite at St Andrew’s after becoming the marquee signing, ahead of Bruce’s second season in the Premier League.

And he has an additional reason for wishing the Blues well this afternoon – one of his family may be involved in the game. He added: “I was at Birmingham for three and a half years, but I spent too much of that time injured.

“I had a great rapport with the supporters, but my brother-inlaw – Jason Lowe – is currently at St Andrew’s with Steve Cotterill.

“I gave him some advice when he joined. I just said to him, ‘They are honest fans. Try your best and work hard and they will always respect you for it – and, by the way, they also enjoy beating Villa’.”

Having said that, he admits to having mixed emotions, as far as the Villa boss is concerned.

Dunn added: “For me, now, it’s a strange one because I’ve got a lot of time for Steve Bruce (above) who, ironically, I signed for at Birmingham.

“He’s an excellent manmanager, Steve, that’s his strength. He gets the best out of players. You want to play for him.

“And he’s got Stephen Clemence on the staff there, too. Clem is an old friend of mine and I can’t say I wish them any ill.

“But I know what it means to the Blues fans.

“If my old team win today and Villa win promotion, I can be happy for both.”