Former Huddersfield Town striker Lee Novak will put friendships to one side for 90 minutes when he returns to Town on Saturday.
The Geordie frontman spent four seasons at Town , having been given his big break into league football when Lee Clark signed him from Gateshead.
Now Novak and Clark are trying to lift Birmingham up the Championship having been reunited during the close-season, when the 25-year-old turned down the offer of a new Town contract to become a Blue .
The former Gretna and Newcastle Blue Star player says he has great memories of his time at Town, for whom he scored 42 goals.
But he insists there will be no sentiment as he attempts to add to his two goals for Brum, who are third-bottom and desperate for a pick-me-up after four league games without a win.
“When I spoke to (Town skipper) Peter Clarke this week, he said he was expecting an elbow,” joked Novak.
“That’s just the relationship we have. We signed at the same time (Clarke moved from Southend) and became close.
“I am also good friends with Alex Smithies and Danny Ward, and I certainly have nothing against Huddersfield.
“I thought I did all right for the club. I would have liked to have played a bit more, but I have some great memories, especially winning the League I play-off final at Wembley (in 2012).
“There was an opportunity to stay but I just felt I needed a new start. I didn’t leave on bad terms.
“Now it is all about Birmingham, and getting a win today is the main thing for me.
“I am confident that we can put on a performance today.
“We want to get the result and get the club back up the league, where we deserve to be.
“We have probably matched most of the sides we have played this season, and I think we are in false position.
“Yes, we are in the bottom three, but nobody is thinking about that or looking at the table.
“The lads are buzzing and looking forward to putting things right from the Charlton game (the Londoners won 1-0 at St Andrews last Saturday).”
Birmingham have picked up some big wins this season and Novak added: “We have put on some good performances, but there have been a couple of games, Leeds and Burnley, where we haven’t performed.
“But in the second half at Leeds we more than matched them and might even have nicked something with the amount of chances we created.”
