Bruce regret over Dunn injuries

Steve Bruce has expressed his regret that injuries prevented David Dunn from showing his best form for Birmingham as he prepared to complete a £2.2m (€3.1m) move to Bolton – despite an 11th hour bid from Blackburn to sign their former player.

Steve Bruce has expressed his regret that injuries prevented David Dunn from showing his best form for Birmingham as he prepared to complete a £2.2m (€3.3m) move to Bolton – despite an 11th hour bid from Blackburn to sign their former player.

Bruce confirmed Dunn had passed a medical at the Reebok Stadium and did not expect personal terms to be a problem for the 27-year-old player.

Dunn cost City £5.5m (€8.3m) when he made the move from Blackburn to St Andrews in the summer of 2003 but a serious back problem which also affected his hamstrings meant he was out of action for the best part of two years.

Bruce believes the former England Under-21 captain will benefit from a change of environment.

Bruce said: “As we speak, Dunny is in talks with Bolton. He has been there for the best part of a week. His injuries are well documented and knowing Sam Allardyce and the medical staff at Bolton, they would have done every test possible.

“We have been told in the past half hour that he has passed all tests as part of the medical.

“I would expect now that the personal terms will be thrashed out. That is not going to take long so I expect he will sign for Bolton.

“I kept reading that Blackburn were going to make a counter bid. We had received nothing from them but they have been in contact in the last hour, but I think it is too late.

“Dunny has already decided he is going down the route of signing for Bolton and in any case Blackburn still haven’t met our valuation of the player.

“It is a total package of £2.2m (€3.3m) but a lot of that is obviously based on appearances. We feel a change of environment, a change of scenery will benefit him and we wish him well.”

Bruce added: “Dunny has only started 27 times for us which is a shame for our club and a shame for Dunny because when I signed him I paid a lot of money for a quality player.

“It is a crying shame with the amount of talent Dunny has got that we have never seen the best of him at Birmingham. It is one of my biggest regrets as Birmingham manager.”