West Bromwich Albion manager Slaven Bilic has revealed that he tracked Romaine Sawyers' progress at Brentford during his time in charge of West Ham United as the club looked to bolster their squad by focusing on Championship players.

The Baggies secured the 28-year-old's services for a reported fee of £3m in the summer and have taken their game in the Championship to new heights since his arrival.

A mainstay in West Brom's starting eleven, Sawyers has forged a fantastic partnership with Jake Livermore in the heart of the club's midfield.

As well as illustrating that is capable of reading the game in a defensive sense, the former Walsall man also knows how to control the tempo of fixtures which is an invaluable skill at this level of football.

Having opened his goal-scoring account for the Baggies in their 4-2 victory over Cardiff City in October, Sawyers will be hoping to add to his tally over the Christmas period.

With West Brom set to face Swansea City on Sunday, the midfielder could end up playing a key role in helping his side extend their current unbeaten run in the second-tier to 10 matches.

Speaking to Sky Sports' YouTube channel (as cited by the Birmingham Mail) about Sawyers, Bilic said: "When I was at West Ham, I watched the Championship.

"You can't ignore it.

"In the transfer window, we wanted some players from the league.

"I was watching Brentford.

"I said to my assistant, 'who is this guy? 'Sawyers'.

"He's a West Brom guy, he's from here.

"For him to be there [at Brentford] that many years, it's a sin.

"When I say that I'll never be happy with him, of course I'm happy with him, of course I'm happy with him and the way he plays but he can be top.

"He can be a top, top player, but you have to push him because his potential is unbelievable."

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The Verdict

Unquestionably one of West Brom's stand-out performers this season, Sawyers has played a pivotal part in the club's success in the Championship.

Currently top of second-tier standings, the Baggies will unquestionably be eyeing up a return to the top-flight in 2020.

Providing that they do indeed secure automatic promotion next May, there is no reason why Sawyers cannot go on to thrive at Premier League level as he is an extremely talented player.