West Bromwich Albion have boosted their play-off bid with the addition of former midfielder Michael Appleton to the club's coaching staff.

Appleton has joined caretaker manager James Shan's backroom staff until the end of the season, with Albion bracing themselves for a play-off semi-final clash with Midlands rivals Aston Villa.

Shan has won five of his first eight matches since replacing Darren Moore at the Baggies' helm in March, but Appleton's appointment will add some much-needed managerial experience to his team.

Appleton has previously managed Portsmouth, Blackpool, Blackburn Rovers and Oxford United, while he was also caretaker manager at Leicester City for a brief period in 2017.

West Brom confirmed the news via their Twitter channel on Friday morning:

Many Albion fans were quick to respond to the news, with many applauding the appointment. Some fans questioned the move, while others asked why the club had waited until this late stage of the season to approach Appleton.

Here's what some of them said on Twitter...