Alex McLeish has praised the contribution of Joe Hart to Birmingham City's record unbeaten run and tipped the goalkeeper to be part of Fabio Capello's England squad at next year's World Cup.

"Joe's form has been brilliant," McLeish said of the 22-year-old, who is on loan from Manchester City. "He has improved since coming to us. He probably had it all in there anyway, but we've brought out the potential. I know that Fabio Capello and his staff like him, so he's already got a head start, and his recent form has certainly made him a candidate for England and the World Cup.

"He is conscientious, he cares about his work and he enjoys the support he gets here. A lot of players can be over-sensitive and precious – they see coaching as a criticism. He's not like that. A lot of things we tweaked earlier in the season have improved him. He has ironed out those rough edges. He's a great pro. Money is available, but we've not discussed doing a deal with City in the January window at board level, so I don't know about that."

Hart would not be averse to making the move permanent, possibly at the end of the season. He is enjoying the regular first-team football he was denied at Eastlands, particularly with the club on a run of 11 matches without defeat, and said: "It's nice to be around a good, solid back four. Those lads are heroes, with the blocks they are making. Half the time I'm diving around like a fool because the ball gets blocked before it gets to me."

The Shrewsbury-born keeper said McLeish and the Birmingham goalkeeping coach, Dave Watson, had improved his "all-round awareness". Hart explained: "They have stressed how to play more as a team player – not because I was selfish before, but how to relate to what's going on in the game at all times. When they need me and when they don't."

Stephen Carr, 33, has been the major influence on an otherwise young defensive unit, which includes a centre-back partnership as effective as any in the country from two Championship recruits: Roger Johnson (ex-Cardiff) and Scott Dann (Coventry), signed for £8.5m the pair.

"He's been brilliant," Hart said. "He's the best professional I've met, awesome. We have a great relationship. You get an understanding that comes from playing together. It's not always about screaming your head off and being heard. As a defensive unit, I know what they do and they know what I do. We have an argument now and then, but that keeps you on your toes."

And the World Cup? "That's exciting. It's nice to have people put me in that category, but I know I'm only one game away from the same people saying I need more experience."

Birmingham's priority in next month's transfer window will be to sign a striker, with Schalke's Kevin Kurányi and Liverpool's Ryan Babel believed to be high on the target list. The vice-chairman, Peter Pannu, said the club wanted to avoid "disrupting the whole thing by bringing in many players", but added: "There is general agreement that to support [Cameron] Jerome and Chucho [Christian Benítez] we need a good striker."

Pannu added: "We initially hoped to succeed by just remaining in the Premier League this season. Now hopefully we will create history here by not being another yo-yo club. The down mood has disappeared and there is a completely rejuvenated environment.

"To suggest we don't have aspirations of Europe would be wrong but we don't want to set targets too high so we keep our feet on the ground."