Olivier Kapo's move to Wigan from Birmingham City marks the second time the player has been signed by Steve Bruce. Having been relegated with the Blues last season, Kapo has been given a second chance in the top-flight, and he will be hoping to tackle the 2008/09 season in the same style he began the last.

In his first 13 league appearances he scored five goals and began to show a return to the form that saw Juventus come calling while he was playing for Auxerre, the club where he began his footballing education. A student of the English game, Kapo revealed the secret to his impressive start to the 2007/08 season:

"I've watched the Premier League on television so I knew what to expect."

"I think playing here will suit my game. I want to test myself against the best players in the Premier League.

Having watched a host of matches on television and been linked with several Barclays Premier League clubs in the past, among them Manchester United, Kapo grasped the chance to sign for Birmingham with both hands.

He made a sensational start to his top-flight career, scoring a 'wonder goal' on his Blues debut in the 3-2 defeat away to Chelsea on the opening day before four more goals followed, with the Frenchman getting the only goal of the match at home to Bolton Wanderers, netting a brace against Wigan Athletic in a 3-2 victory and scoring a consolation at Everton just a week later in a 3-1 defeat.

However, with Bruce's departure to Wigan in December 2007 and the club facing a relegation battle, Kapo found first team opportunities at Birmingham harder to come by, as his flair and style was swapped for more combative assets. Following the Midlands club's relegation to the Championship, it soon became clear that it would be hard for them to keep hold of a player who had set pulses racing in the opening months of the season.

With Bruce having always admired him, it came as no surprise when Kapo swapped St Andrews for the JJB Stadium in July 2008. Speaking during his reign as Birmingham manager, Bruce revealed:

"We knew when we got him that he was quite a talent, but it hadn't gone as he would have liked for a couple of seasons.

"He's got all the ingredients. He's a top-class athlete, he's supremely gifted and he has got a wonderful left foot.

"He is very popular among the players and is no trouble at all."

A graduate of the Auxerre academy, Kapo played 119 first team matches for the French side, scoring nineteen goals between 1999 and 2004. During this period, he played under renowned coach Guy Roux, who believed in investing in the youth system. Prior to bringing Kapo through the ranks, Roux had coached Eric Cantona and Laurent Blanc, who themselves went on to become Premier League stars in their own right.

Kapo was part of what is widely regarded as one of Auxerre's 'golden generations', helping the club win the French Cup in May 2003. He also starred in Auxerre's 2-1 victory over Arsenal at Highbury in the Champions League in October 2002, in which he scored the opening goal.

Just a month later, the midfielder won his first cap for France, his adopted country, on 20th November 2002. He scored the final goal in a 3-0 victory over Serbia and Montenegro at the Stade de France. Since then, Kapo has made a further eight appearances for Les Bleus, adding another two goals to his international tally.

In the summer of 2004, after leaving the club where he had spent a decade, he signed for Serie A giants Juventus. He found his first team chances limited as a result of both injury and having to compete for his place with the likes of Alessandro del Piero and Pavel Nedved. He made just 14 appearances in his first season before going on a season long loan to Monaco in 2005/06, followed by a further year at Levante in 2006/07, where he helped the Spanish side avoid relegation from La Liga.

Although it was in France where he got his first big break, signing for the Auxerre academy, it was in the Ivory Coast where Kapo first discovered his love of football.

"We used to play together on the street in our bare feet. When I go back I still have a game," he reveals.

"I have to be careful with the tackles but I still enjoy a kickabout. Not without shoes and socks, though. My feet aren't tough enough anymore."

It's clear Kapo has made great strides since those humble beginnings, no doubt he'll now hope to continue his development under Bruce second time around.