Radhi to go

There's a popular phrase 'big unit' to describe players who are, well, hulkingly big.

And if there was one who it applied to at Blues more than others, it was Radhi Jaidi.

At 6ft 4in tall and wide-bodied, Jaidi provided quite a barrier. Sure he wasn't dainty on his feet and teams always tried to run him down his side.

But when sharp and focused, he was a tough old bear and aerially, he was one of the most dominant centre-halves to wear the Blues shirt. It was if he had a breeze block stuck on his shoulders the way he used to thud balls away.

Jaidi's time at St Andrew's is over after the club decided not to take up the 12-month option on his contract.

It was partly due to cost, partly due to Alex McLeish wanting to freshen it up in the heart of defence.

I caught up with Jaidi on the telephone in Djerba, an island off the coast of his native Tunisia, where the big unit was getting in some big rays.

He was fairly philosophical about his axing although intriguingly didn't rule out returning on a reduced salary deal.

McLeish saw him as back-up for the Premier League, perhaps a decent replacement to come in as and when. But the desire to move on, to find the next Radhi Jaidi overrided any sentiment.

Two seasons ago, Jaidi and Martin Taylor formed the backbone of Blues promotion success.

Jaidi powering onto a corner to connect with the ball was a fearsome sight, and he chipped in with some vital goals that campaign.

In the Premier League, he didn't get much of sniff until the new year. His lack of speed and athleticism was too much of a risk for Steve Bruce.

Circumstance meant that he got an opportunity and, to his credit, during the stretch run he gave his all and produced some performances that merited man-of-the-match as Blues tried to stave off the drop.

The 'Jaidi Jumping Jive' designed at putting off goalkeepers at direct free-kicks always raised a smile, but was also highly effective.

This season, again he started down the grid but forced his way to the front and, although sometimes given a run around by eager strikers, he tended to impose his will on them in the end and come out on top in the personal duels.

Jaidi was a decent bloke, and always an engaging interviewee. His English turn of phrase was quirky but at the same time endearing.

His sentences tended to never end, he would pause, think of the right context, and then carry on earnestly making one point and then another.

He always used the word 'concentrate' a lot and it became a bit of a standing joke to guess how many times he would utter it when speaking to the press.

Off the field he admitted he tended to not do much else than sleep, which was perfectly in tune with his laid back personality.

I'd be surprised if there weren't a fair few clubs in the Championship ready to pitch in for Jaidi, a 'big unit' indeed.