West Bromwich Albion midfielder Gareth Barry believes that Slaven Bilic played a key part in his recovery from injury at the start of the season, which has seen him be rewarded with a new contract at the Hawthorns.

Barry was released by West Brom in the summer, after he had suffered a knee injury that kept him out for six-months, but having impressed Bilic whilst training with the Baggies first team squad during the first few months of the campaign as part of his recovery, he has been awarded a new deal until the end of the season.

The 38-year-old will be hoping that he can play a key role in helping West Brom maintain their promising start to the season, and help guide the club back to the Premier League having part of the squad which suffered relegation during the 2017/18 campaign.

Speaking to West Brom's official website Barry suggested that Bilic has played a key role in his recovery from injury, and that he is now eager to prove his worth in training and on the field, saying: "From day one Slaven has been fantastic. He told me to get myself fit but don’t rush it and we’ll have another conversation.

“In terms of now, it’s up to me to show the manager what I can do. It’s not about what I have done in the past and I’ve always worked like that. It’s what the manager and the fans will be seeing from now on so I’ll be looking to put some good performances in in training and in games."

The Verdict

Bilic certainly, as Barry suggests, handled the situation with the midfielder excellently during the first few months of the campaign, allowing him the chance to prove his fitness following his recovery before then deciding to offer him a new deal until the end of the campaign.

Barry's experience could well prove vital for the Baggies during the rest of the season, with the midfielder able to come on in matches where West Brom need to see out games and calm his team-mates down, to ease them through periods where they are under pressure.

The 38-year-old's comments reflect someone who is highly motivated to end his career on a real positive note and he will be keen to prove that he can still perform at a high level on the field, which he should be more than capable of during the rest of the season.