LONDON (Bloomberg) — Andy Cole, the second-highest scorer in English Premiership history, has boosted Birmingham’s attempts to return to the elite league after joining on loan from Portsmouth until the end of the season.The 35-year-old former England international, who was a team-mate of Birmingham manager Steve Bruce at Manchester United, hasn’t played outside the Premiership since achieving promotion with Newcastle in 1993.

“He is an exceptional player with a phenomenal goalscoring record,” Bruce told Birmingham’s web-site. “We hope that with his extra quality he can help us to secure the promotion that we are so desperate for.”

Birmingham, who are aiming for promotion at the first attempt after suffering relegation last year, are second in the second-tier Championship, a position which would achieve promotion at the end of the season. Derby top the division, with Sunderland, Preston, Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Bromwich Albion in the play-off positions.

Cole, whose tally of 188 Premiership goals is second only to ex-Newcastle striker Alan Shearer’s 260, has struggled to earn a regular spot at Portsmouth since joining from Manchester City in August 2006. He has got four goals in 22 games, including only nine starts.