CURTIS SET TO BE DRIVING FORCE; Woodhouse aims to get motoring.

Byline: GRAHAM HILL 

BLUES' Curtis Woodhouse has a driving ambition this season... to throw away his L-plates.

The St Andrew's midfielder hopes to end the campaign by helping Blues into the Premiership.

But his first task is to pass his driving test.

The 21-year-old has moved to the Midlands from his home town of Sheffield.

And now he reckons the time is right to abandon the taxis and get some wheels of his own.

'I was getting very lazy. I usually put my feet up and lie on the sofa after training, and I was going everywhere by taxi,' said the former England Under-21 international.

Licence

'But last season I was playing for Sheffield United and living in Sheffield.

'I didn't need to go very far and I knew the area well so I didn't bother learning to drive.

'Now, though, I've come to Birmingham and bought a house so I think it's about time I got my licence.

'I've been taking driving lessons and I hope to pass my test as soon as possible.

'Away from football, that's my target. Hopefully it won't take long.

'But leaving Sheffield was a bit like leaving home for me. I needn't have worried though - there are plenty of northern lads here like Geoff Horsfield, Nicky Eaden and Danny Sonner.'

The battling midfielder became the Blades' youngest ever captain during his time at Bramall Lane.

But he was placed on the transfer list at his own request towards the end of last year, and he moved to Blues in February 2001 in a pounds 1 million transfer with Blades taking Peter Ndlovu as part of the deal.

And he also has an ambition to captain Blues one day when Martin O'Connor moves on.

After skippering the Blades, Woodhouse has developed a taste for it.

'I would love to captain Blues as I was only 17 when I skippered Sheffield United,' he said

'I think it would be an honour for me to have that role at St Andrew's.'

Woodhouse clearly felt he had a better shot at the Premiership at Blues.

But the season ended in disappointment as City missed out in a penalty shoot-out at Preston in the play-offs semi-final.

It was the third successive time they had failed at that stage but now Woodhouse says Blues should have a positive attitude in the new season.

'It's a blow to lose out in three semis, but I think the lads should use it as an incentive,' he said.

'They don't want that to happen again, so the best way is to achieve automatic promotion.

'I've gone through it twice now, but the first time was as a teenager at Sheffield when we lost to Sunderland. I was a lot younger then - it didn't hurt half as much as the Preston game last season.

Experience

'When you're so near to the Premiership, it's a real kick in teeth when you don't get there.

'But the experience is here and I expect us to be in the top six for most of this season.'

Most of the talk at St Andrew's is revolving around the fact that, with Fulham and Blackburn out of the way, Blues can make a serious challenge for the top two places - especially after picking up three wins from their opening four matches.

And Woodhouse, starting his first full season for the club, shares that opinion despite missing the early stages of the campaign.

'The only problem is that there are about 12 teams who think they can get into the top six,' he admitted.

'There aren't two outstanding teams like last season, but there are a lot on even par. We need a good run.

'Automatic promotion is not out of our reach. Don't forget we almost had it last season. It's only the fact that we had a bad spell that took it away from us.

'The Blackburn game at home was the start of it. But then I felt that Blackburn were actually the best team in the division last season even though Fulham won it. I really rated them but the best two teams went up in the end.

'But Blues is such a big club that it would be a disaster if we didn't make it into the top six at least.'

CAPTION(S):

TESTING TIME... Curtis Woodhouse NORTHERN LIGHTS... Geoff Horsfield, top, and Nicky Eaden