But he knows it is his form in the next nine months that will determine whether he will be heading for the finals in Germany with his country – assuming they qualify.

Melchiot said: “I think that having the World Cup at the end of the season will definitely help me. I think the fans can see I always give 100 per cent and the reason for that is I’m a very bad loser!

“The worst thing I can imagine is a losing a game and I always want to play well. Everybody wants to go to the World Cup – and if I want to play there, I have to play as well as I can for Birmingham.

“It won’t be something that isalways in my mind because I know that I just have to concentrate on my job here at Birmingham and then everything will be okay.”

Melchiot helped City earn their first win of the campaign at West Brom on Saturday but he is confident that a top half of the table place is within their grasp.

He said: “I think this year we can do even better. Birmingham have been in the Premiership a few years now and it is time we began to think about how we can get into Europe rather than how we can survive.

Bruce would like to bring in a defender before the transfer window closes on Wednesday but he is not over-confident about achieving that goal.

He said: “In the next three days I would like to strengthen defensively. We are very light there but I am not going to hold my breath.

“We’ve had a bit of money spend, there is a bit left but I don’t think we are really close at the moment.”