Olivier Tébily the man is at odds with Olivier Tébily the image. When you consider the bravery that went into making that tackle for Birmingham City against Millwall last week, it is surprising to discover that the Ivory Coast international defender is mild-mannered, bespectacled and approachable. He is quickly becoming a cult figure among supporters at St Andrew's and, as Birmingham prepare for their First Division play-off final against Norwich City in Cardiff on Sunday, he has become a player of significance. He was thrust into the midfield against Millwall and produced a performance that did much to ensure the 1-0 victory, a result that was enough to push his team to the brink of promotion to the FA Barclaycard Premiership. If one incident summed up his determination that night, it was when he won the ball from Stuart Nethercott. A difficult task under normal circumstances - virtually impossible with only a yellow sock for protection. "I went into the tackle, realised my boot had come off, but just carried on to win the ball," Tébily said. "It was the right foot and it feels fine. But, no, I don't always do that kind of thing." If Tébily is surprised at the attention for his performance, it is less of a shock that he has fitted in so well at Birmingham. For a start, he is a Steve Bruce-type of player. Hard, committed and skilful - just the kind you need for a play-off final in Cardiff. Bruce was manager of Sheffield United when Tébily was there. They parted company when the player left to play for Celtic in July 1999, but Bruce always kept up to date with the progress of the player born in Abidjan. He began his career with LB Chundefinedteauroux and was capped at youth-team level for France. United signed him for £225,000, but he played only eight games for Bruce before John Barnes signed Tébily for Celtic. Tébily has seen it all. He was imprisoned along with many of his international teammates after his country's elimination from the 2000 African Nations Cup in Ghana and has played in the cauldron of an Old Firm derby match. Best of all, perhaps, he has not been on the losing side at club level this season. He played in 13 unbeaten games for Celtic until his move to St Andrew's on March 22. Since then, he has played in nine unbeaten games for Birmingham. He has not tasted defeat for a club since he played for Celtic away to Kilmarnock on May 5, 2001. That was the only time he was involved in a defeat that season but, then, he played in only seven matches. This time around, there is much more for him to be pleased about, especially now that he has found a team for whom a first-team place is likely. A good season for Tébily? You bet. He was an Arsenal supporter as a child and he spoke with relish about their FA Cup final victory against Chelsea at the Millennium Stadium. "Of course, I watched a lot of English football when we were growing up," he said. "We all did. I liked Arsenal and they are my team. I was happy that they won the FA Cup last week and, of course, it will be exciting to be involved at the same stadium for Birmingham." His involvement seems assured but Bruce has yet to reveal if Tébily will be in defence or midfield. He performed with equal assurance in both positions but Michael Johnson is expected to replace the suspended Darren Purse at the back, leaving Tébily to remain in midfield. He admits that he was given no special brief to mark Tim Cahill, the talented Millwall and Australia creator, but Tébily's presence certainly inhibited his opponent. "I was happy to play in midfield and happy with the way it went," he said. "I have played there before, for Sheffield, and I would be happy to play there again. "I wasn't given any specific details to mark a particular player but just played my normal game. That is what I have always tried to do and it was good to help my team-mates to win such an important match." At 26, he has time on his side. He was signed from Celtic for £700,000 and this is no quick-fix from Bruce. Tébily is at St Andrew's for the long haul and, with Premiership football beckoning, there are few better places to be. "I am enjoying playing for Birmingham and I really like being here," he said. "We were sixth or seventh when I joined and it was good to be part of the fight to be in the play-offs. "I want to play at the highest level and would love to run out on the field as a Premiership player. Everybody would, I think." Only Norwich can spoil that dream. The Norfolk club defeated Wolverhampton Wanderers in the play-off semi-finals and, like Birmingham, enjoy some momentum. "I don't know much about Norwich, but I was surprised that they defeated Wolves," Tébily said. "Wolves finished higher up the table and were perhaps the favourites. But it proves what a good side Norwich must be." Tébily is a naturalised Frenchman and is fluent in French. He speaks English rather more softly and, when wearing his spectacles, appears more like a lawyer than a football player. Perhaps his biggest problem since joining Birmingham has been trying to decipher a Scouse accent. "Sorry?" he would often reply, suggesting that I should repeat certain questions in a more unhurried manner. Tébily prefers composure. It is how he learnt to play football and why he is able to read the game so well. "I like to play with my foot on the ball and everything is fine," he said. Such coolness did not always go down well at Celtic, where more cynical supporters nicknamed him "Bomb scare" because sometimes his easy manner would create problems for his team-mates. Tébily, however, could have the last laugh. "Yes, I have played in front of 75,000 or so people before," he said. "It was like that a lot for Celtic." And with Celtic dropping hints that they might be prepared to leave Scotland and join the Nationwide League, it is probable that Tébily might get to the Premiership before them. | 
