Richard Kingson has set his sights on wresting the Birmingham goalkeeping jersey from Maik Taylor and Colin Doyle in the battle to become Steve Bruce's number one choice.

Kingson became the third different player between the posts in as many matches when he made his debut in Tuesday night's Carling Cup second round clash with Hereford at St Andrews.

Doyle had played in the opening three Barclays Premier League matches of the campaign before being replaced by Taylor for the weekend win at Derby.

But Kingson, who is Ghana's first-choice keeper, staked his claim with a series of fine saves as Blues survived a second-half comeback by the Bulls to triumph 2-1.

Kingson, who played for Swedish side FC Hammarby at the end of last season, said: "There is very tough competition here at Birmingham.

"But I know that the manager has given me a chance to prove myself, like on Tuesday night against Hereford, and I have to show what I can do.

"I don't count how many goalkeepers there are or think 'he is a big goalkeeper' or 'he is a small goalkeeper'. I am not afraid of that, I am not afraid of the challenge.

"I knew it was going to be a big task for me when I came here but I was ready to show everyone how I am as a goalkeeper.

"I played in Sweden for three months and I did well. Birmingham came and watched me and said they were very interested. I said okay because it has been my dream to play in England.

"I enjoyed it on Tuesday night. I have been training very hard, waiting for my moment, so I feel good that what I have been practising helped me make some good saves. Now I hope I can show more and make more saves."

Kingson played for his country in the 2006 World Cup finals and insisted nothing will faze him after that experience.

He said: "The World Cup was a big achievement for me. It boosted my morale high.

"I played against the best teams in front of 80,000 spectators, so, after that, nothing worried me."

Kingson is also adamant that his height - he is only a modest six feet tall compared with other giant keepers of the modern game - will not be a handicap to him.

He said: "Yes, I am not as tall as other goalkeepers but I am used to jumping more.

"I am not afraid of my height. It is not a problem for me. I can still do everything other goalkeepers can."

Ultimately, Kingson was happy to help Blues secure a spot in the third-round draw of a competition Bruce has always taken seriously.

Kingson said: "When you play a team from a lower division they always make it difficult because they want to prove themselves.

"When we were winning by two goals, we felt comfortable.

"In the second half, the game changed. They played differently and so did we. In the end, we were happy to get through."

Credit: sportinglife.com