Gary McSheffrey will finally be able to draw breath this week after a tumultuous beginning to the season.

A month of transfer shenanigans between Coventry and Birmingham left him in turmoil before the £3.6 million deal was finally concluded.

He has been thrust straight into the first team by Steve Bruce and involved in two pulsating fixtures with Crystal Palace and Cardiff.

With a fortnight's break, however, McSheffrey will be able to collect his thoughts and reflect on a period where his life has changed irrevocably.

The 24-year-old is of a similar ilk to the bulk of Bruce's summer purchases regards age and he is adamant youthful conversation with the likes of Cameron Jerome, Neil Danns, Stephen Kelly and the trio of Arsenal loanees has smoothed his arrival from the Ricoh Arena.

"The lads are down to earth and easy to get on with and a lot are around my age group," said McSheffrey.

"There are a lot of young, hungry players that want to succeed. It helps coming to a club like this with quality young players whose hunger to succeed is good.

"It was quite long," he continued, referring to the protracted contract negotiations between Birmingham and Coventry.

"It is all new to me. I have not been the talk of transfers before. It did drag on a bit but I just had to get my head down and get on with it. As soon as the clubs had agreed a fee, that was my cue to come and make the move."

It is clear that Bruce, like Micky Adams hitherto, intends to utilise McSheffrey wide on the left. It was noticeable that he switched positions with David Dunn regularly during Saturday's defeat at Cardiff and an ability to cut inside causes problems for defenders.

There is a school of thought, including McSheffrey himself at one stage, which surmises he is more effective as a central striker. But after procuring 17 goals last season from, prima-rily, left wing, McSheffrey insists his opportunities for selection will be far greater in that role.

"I think the manager sees me as a wide left as that is where I have been playing," he confirmed.

"That's where I did well for Coventry last season but he knows I am an option up front if needed but he has got four quality strikers so, I just want to make sure I stamp the left wing as my position and make me No 1.

"If I play up front it is a bonus but, if not, I will play wherever. We have got a couple of weeks to get ready for the Hull game," he continued, looking ahead to their next assignment.

"We have three games in a week against Hull, Queens Park Rangers and Ipswich. Hopefully, we can be physically and mentally strong for that week and try and get three wins.

"At home the onus is on us to go and win games and take the game to opponents. We will be ready for the Hull game and hopefully this (Cardiff) will be forgotten after that game." n Midfielder Eirik Bakke fears he is being forced out of Leeds United after they revealed they can no longer afford his wages.

The 28-year-old Norwegian international, believed to be on £23,000 a week, was absent from the squad for Sunday's win at Sheffield Wednesday.

He said: "My agent was contacted by Shaun Harvey (Leeds' chief executive) last week and was told that, because of financial circumstances, I wouldn't be playing for Leeds United again."