Craig Dawson didn't endear himself to West Brom fans in the summer, looking to force a move away from the club and training alone.

It seemed as though he'd kicked his final ball for the Baggies as speculation mounted he might make a £20m move to Burnley. That price proved to be too rich for the Clarets and the 28-year old stayed put.

It seems now as though the journey to redemption has been started. Dawson made his first appearance of the season on Friday against Middlesbrough, to the delight of manager Darren Moore.

“It was terrific for the group to have Craig back in the action again on Friday,” Moore told the Express and Star. “The fans do not need me to tell them how important a player he is for the club. He will be like a new signing."

"He’s got his fitness levels back up to where we can now look forward to him figuring strongly in our plans.”

Dawson joined the Baggies from Rochdale in 2010 and has made 180 senior appearances in his spell at the Hawthorns.

The Verdict

Of course he's like a new signing, Darren Moore looked to be losing his star man but now he is back and seemingly focused on the task in hand.

Do not underestimate the impact this could have. The Baggies have got a strong squad and with Dawson coming back it just got a whole lot stronger. One or two good loan signings this week could leave them with the strongest set of players in the Championship.

Don't bet against them bouncing back in May at this rate.

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