The 31-year-old Ireland centre-back completed his move yesterday to St Andrews on a four-year contract for an undisclosed fee.

And the former Wimbledon defender confessed it was the lure of Premiership football which convinced him to leave Selhurst Park after spending two seasons in Division One with the Dons.

Cunningham said: ‘‘I am very pleased to be signing for Birmingham because it is a very unexpected opportunity for me.

‘‘After the World Cup I was looking forward to starting the season with Wimbledon but things happen very quickly in football.

‘‘There were a number of reasons for my move but the main one was the attraction of Premiership football.

“It was an opportunity that was too good to turn down. I was fortunate to be able to play a number of years in the Premiership and I know what a magnificent experience it is.

“There are some wonderful stadiums around the country and some world-class players plying their trade there.

‘‘It is going to be a huge challenge for us to stay in the Premiership.

“I am sure the supporters will naturally have huge expectations and will be dreaming of a honeymoon period in the Premiership, as has happened in the past with Sunderland and Ipswich. But our realistic aim is to consolidate our position in the Premiership next season.’’

Meanwhile Ireland’s group rivals Russia will play their home games in the 2004 European Championships qualifiers at the newly-reconstructed Lokomotiv stadium in Moscow.

The 30,000-seat stadium will host Russia’s Euro 2004 qualifying opener against Ireland on September 7 this year.

The Russians hope the re-vamped Lokomotiv arena, which has been hailed as the best in the country, will give them the edge in their bid to stage the European Championships in 2008.

In the past, Russia hosted the majority of their internationals at the 84,000-seat Luzhniki Olympic stadium.