Blues must get serious to stay up; Prem is our top priority - Ridgewell Prem is our top priority - Ridgewell.

Byline: Colin Tattum

THE returning Liam Ridgewell has told Blues they should copy the example of Sunderland if they want to cement their status as a Premier League club.

Steve Bruce's side were comfortable winners over Blues in the Carling Cup on Tuesday, utilising their strength in depth which Ridgewell said was something to aspire to.

Bruce has spent pounds 30 million since taking over at the Stadium of Light and was able to leave Darren Bent and Anton Ferdinand, who are worth a combined pounds 18 million, on the bench, and not risk pounds 6 million Lee Cattermole at all.

As Carson Yeung's takeover of Blues took another key step - it has been announced that through Grandtop International Holdings he has already secured 81.7 per cent of the shares, the majority of which belonged to the present board - Ridgewell said he hoped that the club would get serious, like the Black Cats.

"Brucie has got a good squad together, a strong squad as well," said Ridgewell, who made his comeback after five months out recovering from a broken left leg.

"He has spent a lot of money and they're the sort of club we're striving to be like.

"They've got the type of squad we want to get to. Their strength in depth was always going to make it difficult for us, especially with our injuries.

"We handled ourselves better in the second-half but it was a poor start really and we never properly recovered. They deserved to win and we've just got to look at them as an example."

Ridgewell admitted that Saturday's home game against Bolton Wanderers was more significant in the grand scheme of things. "We didn't think of it like that on the night but, when you look at it, Bolton's more important. We want to stay in the Premier League. That's our aim this season,'' he said. "We want people right and fit for every single Premier League game. That's our priority." When Ridgewell hobbled off in the Plymouth Argyle match after being caught on the shin by Jamie Mackie on Easter Monday, it was felt he would be sidelined for approaching a year. That he has recovered so quickly, and came though 90 minutes on Tuesday despite not having had a single reserve game to help ease him back, was remarkable. He said: "It's been a good road to recovery. Working with the physios, Tim Williamson and Pete Shaw, it's come so quick. "I have been so desperate to get back. Itwas such a disappointing end to last season for myself, but such a good one for the club getting promotion from the Championship. "The surgeon said my leg would take three months to heal and I set my task to be back within a month-and-ahalf of that, getting fit. "I don't drink, I don't go out and get drunk, I don't eat badly and stuff like that. I try and keep my body right and I'm quite a fit person generally. "So I gave myself that target and it's great that it has healed well and everything has gone fine." "I don't have any worries about reserve games," he added.

"A couple of years ago I was out with a medial ligament injury for two-and-a-half months. I returned straight into a Carling Cup tie against Burnley, away. So that was a hard enough one, I knew what itwould be like forme the other night. "To play 90 minutes at Sunderland was great. I felt fit, I felt fine. Had it gone any further then I would have been okay. I came through it all right. No problems, nothing." And now for Ridgewell? "That's me back. I am there to give the gaffer a headache and try to screw myself back in the side and start to play regularly," he added. "It's been a strong point over the last couple of years, our defence. The lads have really well this season, so it's going to be tough. "Franck Queudrue did well to come back off stern seasons as it were and he's done brilliant over the last fewweeks. Itwas a shame he got injured. "But thinking of myself, that might have givenme a chance and I just want to get back in the side and in the central defence."