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No special treatment for Zigic - McLeish

Nikola Zigic featured infrequently at club level last season © Getty Images

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New Birmingham City striker Nikola Zigic will be reporting back to pre-season training at the same time as his team-mates, after boss Alex McLeish told him he would not be allowed any extra holiday.

Zigic started all three of Serbia's World Cup games last month but his side were knocked out at the group stage after a victory over Germany was sandwiched by defeats to Ghana and Australia.

But unlike many of his international team-mates, including the likes of Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidic, Zigic will not be allowed to take an extended post-finals holiday, with McLeish keen to prepare him for the intensity life in English football.

"He certainly didn't play as many games as the lads in our squad last season when, for a long time, we fielded virtually an unchanged team," McLeish said. "He should be fine and in any case we've got to get him up to a level of fitness where he's ready for the Premier League."

Zigic will join his new team-mates next Monday ahead of Birmingham's pre-season tour of Hong Kong and China, which begins on July 14.

And McLeish believes his £6 million acquisition will not be suffering after his World Cup exploits because he played just 13 league games for Valencia last season, though he admitted it may take him a little time to adjust to the physical nature of the Premier League.

"We will be showing Nikola some of the footage from last season which should give him a good insight into what he should expect," McLeish said.

"The Premier League is rough, tough and, while Nikola is a big lad, the Premier League is hard in terms of aggression and that different style of football."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.