West Brom chief executive Luke Dowling has admitted that Albion are lucky to have Slaven Bilic in charge as he expressed his surprise that the Croatian isn't in the Premier League.

The former West Ham chief took over at The Hawthorns in the summer and quickly made a positive impact.

Not only did the club pick up positive results, they have been playing attractive football and the Baggies currently hold a six-point lead over third place.

Therefore, promotion looks a real possibility and Dowling praised the influence of Bilic when speaking to the Express & Star.

"You don’t want to speak about all the other managers you have worked with but Slaven is definitely one of the most engaging and personable. We managed to get him and you think ‘that’s good.’

"But after two or three months you really do think ‘How did we get him – why is here and not at a Premier League club?’ He is just a really good bloke."

Albion are back in action this weekend when they take on Bristol City at Ashton Gate in what will be a tough game.

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The verdict

The good work Bilic has done has been clear to see from the results in the Championship but comments like these highlight the impact he has made on the club as a whole.

And, you can't really argue with Dowling in the sense they are fortunate to have him because he has managed at the highest level.

Many thought it was a coup at the time and it was a decision that looks as though it will pay off big time if West Brom secure a return to the top-flight in the next few months.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.