Rav off the mark

West Ham's on-loan midfielder Ravel Morrison completed his first ever 90 minutes of competitive first-team football on Saturday.

The 19-year-old midfielder, who is on loan at Birmingham for the season was reinstated to struggling City's first team - for the first time since the beginning of the season - for their 1-1 draw with pace-setters Leicester City at the weekend.

And Blues boss Lee Clark was effusive in his praise of the former Manchester United youngster, who only last week he hailed as a potenital successor to former England star Paul Gascoigne.

"I didn't bring him here not to play, or even to be on the bench, I brought him here to be one of the main players," added Clark. "He can be whatever he wants to be.

"We had a watershed moment a few weeks ago when I had a good chat with him. I sat him down, and said it's the whole package of being a professional footballer. I'm delighted with how he has reacted."

Just a fortnight ago Clark was forced to deny suggestions that he had fallen out with the Enlgand youth international after it was claimed that he wanted to send Morrison back to West Ham.

But he did admit that the player had to be treated with kid gloves at times due to his desire to play and lack of concentration.

"Sometimes he loves the game so much that he gets a little bit disappointed with the decision I make when I don't pick him in the starting X1," added Clark, "and it affects his training performances.

"He's had publicity away from the pitch but I've never seen any of that. I've never had a minute's problem with him away from the football field."

Birmingham took the lead on Saturday in the opening minute of the second half through Peter Lovenkrands and looked to be heading towards their first win in three games - before Leicester's Ben Marshall salvaged a point for the visitors four minutes from the end of normal time.

Former Hammer Jonathan Spector, also currently at Birmingham was sent off in the final minute of the game for a second bookable offence.