Steve Bruce is keeping it in the family at Blues after signing his 20-year-old son, Alex, on a free transfer from Blackburn Rovers.
Alex, who has agreed a twoanda-half year contract, was then promptly loaned back out to Oldham Athletic in order to continue his development.
He has spent the last month at Boundary Park and played eight times, his first taste of competitive football. Alex, who was released by Manchester United's Academy at the age of 16 and then joined Rovers as a trainee, has not been snapped up to compete with the likes of Kenny Cunningham and Matthew Upson just yet, his father insisted.
"He's one for the future," said Bruce, who is acutely aware of charges of nepotism the transfer will bring.
"It doesn't matter whether he's my son or not, we judge all players we bring into this football club on their merits.
"If you look at our reserve team now, it's basically full of young pros and teenagers - an under-21 team.
"We've wanted to lower the age of it and have a group of energetic players with the right attitude pushing to come through and join the first-team group.
"Alex comes into that category and by allowing him to continue his loan to Oldham we think it will help his development, similar to the way we let Neil Kilkenny go there and sent Darren Carter to Sunderland."
Bruce jnr scored the Latics' winning penalty in a 5-4 shoot-out against Tranmere Rovers in the LDV Trophy Northern Area semi-final on Tuesday. Kilkenny despatched the one before.
His loan to Boundary Park expired the next day and that's when Blues swooped.
With coach Mark Bowen moving to Ewood Park following his acrimonious sacking by the Blues boss, the atmosphere there became uncomfortable for Alex.
He was a regular for Rovers reserves and they were set to release him on a free transfer in the summer.
Blues made their initial approach during talks over Robbie Savage's £3million transfer. Tall and lean, Alex is not yet as robust as his father was in his pomp. He has good pace and Latics manager Brian Talbot has said he has potential and is ambitious.
He has played at both centrehalf and right-back during his spell at Oldham and has been interesting Sheffield United, QPR and Stockport County.
Alex's capture has not formed the first father-son combination at St Andrew's. Manager Terry Cooper signed his son, Mark, from Exeter City in 1991.
