Sebastian Larsson believes Barry Ferguson can inspire Birmingham City to Carling Cup glory on Sunday.
Blues face Arsenal at Wembley Stadium in their first major cup final at the venue since 1956, and Larsson claims Ferguson’s experience of winning 15 trophies while at Scottish giants Rangers will help their cause.
The Swede said: “Fergie has a lot of confidence as a player in the same way as Cesc (Fabregas of Arsenal). I won't compare them directly but Fergie has been a real leader for us.
“He has been the guy who has kept the team ticking over and we were crying out for that type of player when he came to the club a couple of years ago. You can see he's a guy who has won a lot in his career.
“He's had a big career and he demands the highest standards in every match. He certainly won't be fazed by facing Cesc at Wembley on Sunday.
“Fergie came down from Rangers as a big name and a player who had done a lot in the game and he's just been himself since he arrived.
“I don't think he was trying to prove a point, he just kept playing his football and demanding the ball and showed a lot of confidence in himself.”