Here is the final Blues News player spotlight, taken from the Burnley programme and re-produced with permission from Birmingham City.

Sixteen months ago blues boss Alex McLeish challenged Cameron Jerome to prove he’s worth an extended run in the side. Fast forward to the present day, it’s fair to say that the striker has answered his manager’s call – and in some style.

Jerome netted some important goals towards the end of last season to help fire Blues back into the Barclays Premier League. And, after shrugging off an early-season ankle injury, the 23-year-old has started the last 28 top-flight games and responded with a double-figure goals haul. The Yorkshireman can reflect on a job well done as he has played a major part in catapulting Blues into the top half of the table and on course for their highest league finish in half a century. But far from basking in his own personal glory, the modest top marksman is keen to instead deflect the praise onto his equally hard-working team-mates, all of whom he believes have played their part in equal measure to the club’s success this season.

“First and foremost it’s a team game and everyone can give themselves a pat on the back for the way we have played throughout the season,” says the former Cardiff City hot shot. “I’ve been part of that as well but the whole squad can say that they’ve risen to the challenge and probably played some of the best footy in their careers. We’ve been brilliant from day one. We’ve shown a fantastic attitude and application with the way we’ve gone about things. It’s been a very good season and something to build on for the next couple of years here at Birmingham.”

“I’ve been pleased from a personal point of view too,” he continues. “I just wanted to establish myself in the team and, from there, score goals. I am confident in my own ability and I know that we’ve got players in this team that can supply the ammunition. It’s a good achievement to hit double figures for the season in the Premier League. That was my target at the start so I’m delighted to have reached that mark. That’s my job as a striker – I’m paid to score goals.”

Cameron Jerome

Jerome moved from Ninian Park to St. Andrew’s in the summer of 2006 after his exploits as a teenager with the Bluebirds attracted a host of interested suitors to South Wales. The Huddersfield-born forward notched 20 goals for Cardiff in 2005/06 and Steve Bruce was suitably impressed to splash out £3 million for his services. Jerome subsequently hit nine league goals in each of Blues’ recent promotion-winning Championship seasons and he found the net seven times in the 2007/08 Barclays Premier League campaign. This term is the first time he has broken through into double figures in the league for Blues – and his strike against Liverpool at Anfield that opened his account back in November will take some beating when it comes to the ‘goal of the season’. But it’s just not the goals but his overall contribution to the team that has seen the rampaging front man cement a regular place in the side producing arguably his best ever form for Blues.

“That comes with confidence,” admits the striker. “When a manager has that confidence in you then it gives you that confidence yourself to go out and play football to the best of your ability. When the team is playing well and you’re picking up results then confidence is high in the camp and that rubs off on individual performances.”

Blues’ last outing ended in a highly controversial defeat to local rivals Aston Villa. It may have ultimately proved an unfruitful trip across the city due to the late penalty that TV replays subsequently proved shouldn’t have been given but Jerome believes that his team have every reason to be pleased with the manner of their display. He says: “We performed very well on the day. We knew it was going to be a very difficult game with Villa chasing a European place, they are a good side but I thought the manager got his tactics spot on, everyone stood up to the challenge and worked hard which is what you’ve got to do in a local derby. We were definitely the better team in the second half. We created the best chances and were just unlucky with the penalty decision at the end of the game. Clearly it wasn’t a penalty but sometimes these decisions go against you. We held our heads up high at the end of the game knowing that we’d put in a good performance and in the knowledge that if it wasn’t for an incorrect refereeing decision, we would have got something from the game, possibly even a win.”

Cameron Jerome

Jerome and his colleagues have chalked up some notable scalps during a memorable first season back at the top level of English football. The former England under-21 international says the best part of the campaign on a team level for him was not an individual game but more a sequence of matches. He says: “The highlight of the season team-wise for me was when we broke the club record of unbeaten games in the top division. People were writing us off and saying it’s only a matter of time before they lose but we were proving them wrong week by week. The catalyst of our season has been working hard. Everyone works for each other and we’ve played football as well, passing the ball about well, which people might not expect from a team like Birmingham. We’ve been resilient and hard to break down, especially at home at St. Andrew’s where we’ve been brilliant. We have harassed teams, got in their faces and sides don’t like that. Even when we lost the two games at home towards the start of the season it was late goals that cost us the points.”

Jerome’s choice for the moment that topped all others on a personal front will surprise few. The striker concedes: “It has to be my goal at Anfield – I don’t think I’m going to score a better one than that any time soon!”

Alex McLeish’s side today face a Burnley team still reeling from their relegation back to the Championship, which was sealed after last weekend’s home defeat to Liverpool. The Clarets may only be playing for pride this afternoon but Blues have a good incentive to claim maximum points as they look to cement ninth spot in the division. The last time the club has finished that high in the top flight was back in 1958/59. But Jerome is expecting nothing more than a tough encounter against Brian Law’s side.

“Burnley may have been relegated but they’re not going to be a pushover,” he insists. “We’re going to have to work as hard as we have in all the other games this season and hopefully we’ll be good enough to get the victory on the day. If we win then I believe it will also complete the club’s longest unbeaten home run in the top flight so that will be another record broken and another fantastic achievement to cap off a wonderful season.

“Once we knew we were safe our next aim was to finish as high in the table as we possibly can. We’ve had a bit of a slippery slope in recent weeks but nevertheless we’ve got two more games that will determine our final league position. Another couple of wins would seal a top-half-of-the-table finish, which would be a remarkable accomplishment. We can then all go away for the summer having done our jobs and then come back next season refreshed and ready to go again.

“Hopefully the manager can strengthen the squad in the summer and we can move on. There is genuine excitement about the place. Birmingham is on the up and a club where people want to be again. From the players’ and fans’ point of view it’s good times ahead.”