West Bromwich Albion captain Jake Livermore has heaped praise on new Baggies signing Alex Mowatt in an interview with the Express and Star, calling him a great addition to Valerien Ismael's squad.

26-year-old Mowatt arrived at The Hawthorns earlier this month on the expiry of his contract at Barnsley, with the midfielder and manager Ismael working closely together in South Yorkshire last season as they climbed from 21st to fifth in just six months.

But with Ismael being poached by the recently-relegated West Midlands side and the Tykes overachieving massively last season, the former Barnsley captain decided to jump ship and link up with his old manager as they try to fire West Brom back to the Premier League next season.

He is likely to be competing with the likes of captain Jake Livermore and Romain Sawyers for a starting spot in midfield during the 2021/22 Championship campaign - with former loanee Okay Yokulsu, Chelsea's 22-year-old Nathaniel Chalobah and Newcastle midfielder Matty Longstaff all being linked with a move to The Hawthorns recently.

This could potentially put the 26-year-old's starting place in jeopardy after being a regular at Barnsley for the three seasons as skipper - but Baggies captain and competitor Jake Livermore has commended Mowatt's conduct on and off the pitch after his arrival just over a fortnight ago.

Speaking to the Express and Star, Livermore said: "He’s been brilliant ever since he came in. He is a great lad first and foremost. He’s a fantastic lad and a brilliant player as well.

"It obviously helps that he has worked previously with the manager.

"He knows exactly what he wants going forward and he can help relay that to the boys.

"He is a great addition to the squad that adds to the quality we have already got."

The Verdict:

This is a promising sign for West Brom and has settled down reasonably well considering he was such a big part of Barnsley's squad before his move - and may have stayed there for many years to come if Ismael had remained at Oakwell.

It's also great news to see the central midfielder doing well because this is a position they still need signings in after seeing Sam Field and Rekeem Harper leave on a permanent deal, with Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Conor Gallagher and Okay Yokulsu all returning to their parent clubs this summer on the expiration of their loan deals.

With this latest update, Baggies fans will know Mowatt will be able to step up to the plate and put a good shift in if he starts in their opening league game against Bournemouth next month.

And for such praise to come from a man who will be working closely alongside the 26-year-old next season, it can only be good news for the Championship outfit.