Chris Mepham

Mepham built his career on the parts of defending that never make a highlight reel, the blocked cross, the header away from a corner, the recovery run that stops a counter attack before it becomes a shot. He rarely looks for a pass out from the back that will draw applause. Instead he looks for the one that keeps his side safe, and at Championship level that discipline is worth more than it sounds.

Wales kept selecting him through a serious knee injury and beyond it, proof of how highly his defending is rated by people who watch it closely. What West Brom fans want to see is whether that discipline holds up against forwards who specialise in dragging a centre back out of position. He is not the quickest defender in the building. His positioning has to do the work his legs cannot manage alone.