Steve Bruce is the man tasked with the rebuilding job at West Bromwich Albion after their disappointing 2021/22 Championship campaign. 

There is without doubt talent in the ranks at The Hawthorns but equally what we learnt last season is that changes need to be made to help the squad as a whole perform better next term.

That should mean there are plenty of new arrivals and departures over the coming months and weeks, which in itself should be an exciting prospect for Albion fans.

Before that really gets underway, we've been looking back at West Brom teams from the past five years to put together a combined XI of the best players to pull on the shirt.

Plenty of former Baggies are unfortunate to miss out but after trying a few different formations, we think we've found the ideal setup to squeeze in the 11 best.

Let us know your thoughts on the side we've picked...

Albion fans can be disappointed with the way Sam Johnstone's career at The Hawthorns has ended but he has been utterly sensational at points.

The Baggies' best player during their last season in the Premier League, the England international also played a key role in the 2019/20 promotion-winning campaign.

A Premier League quality keeper that delivered more than his fair share of heroics during his time at the West Midlands club and is deserving of the number one jersey.

Not a natural right-back but we wanted a way to fit Craig Dawson into our XI and were short of real quality options at the position.

Nathan Ferguson could well have established himself had he not left for Crystal Palace while both Allan Nyom and Darnell Furlong have had their ups and downs.

Dawson was ever-reliable during his time at The Hawthorns and he's a player that you want in your side while given the forward options we've gone for, his height from set-pieces should be useful.

What a signing Jonny Evans proved to be for the Baggies, who brought him in from Manchester United in 2015 for around £7 million.

Letting the Northern Irishman leave is likely a decision that Red Devils fans and chiefs have lamented since.

He was brilliant in his three seasons with West Brom and though only one of those was within the five-year bracket, his quality means Evans slots in as one-half of our central defensive partnership.

An ever-present in the side over the past four seasons, Kyle Bartley is our pick to partner Evans at the heart of the Baggies' backline.

Dominant aerially and strong on the ball, the 31-year-old has been the glue holding Albion together at points and we just couldn't leave him out.

He is a leader and knows exactly what it takes to win promotion to the Premier League as well, which is always a useful boost.

Perhaps underrated outside The Hawthorns, handing Conor Townsend a new long-term deal earlier this season was a fantastic move from Albion.

An asset going forward and strong defensively, Townsend is exactly who we want in place to complete our back four.

He can fill in at centre-back as part of a back three but in this team, we want him out on the left flank.

Yes, the 29-year-old has struggled at points as a wing-back but we've got full trust in him doing the job as a left-back.

Jake Livermore was not at his best in 2021/22 but that statement can be made about the majority of the Albion squad.

The captain of our side, Livermore will serve as the defensive midfielder in our 4-3-3 formation with his tenacity and the control he offers in the centre of the park going to be vital in helping the players around him shine.

If you're in a battle, there's no doubt that the England international is someone that you want alongside you.

The 2020/21 West Brom Young Player of the Year slots in alongside Livermore in central midfield.

A player with never-ending energy whose performances brightened up what was not the easiest of seasons for the Baggies while on loan from Chelsea, it's been no surprise to see Conor Gallagher thriving at Crystal Palace this term.

Albion supporters would likely do anything to add him to their current midfield and there was no way he was missing out on a place in this side.

Things may have ended sourly for Matheus Pereira at West Brom but my god, the good times were good.

The creative midfielder dazzled while on loan from Sporting Lisbon in 2019/20, scoring eight goals and providing 20 assists as he helped Albion win promotion to the Premier League.

He signed permanently ahead of their return to the top flight and did not look out of place at that level.

With Livermore behind him and the effervescent Gallagher buzzing around, Pereira completes a well-balanced midfield.

Gayle's strike partner in the 2018/19 promotion-winning season, Jay Rodriguez completes our forward line and our XI.

He bagged 22 goals that term and 33 in total for Albion as well as eight assists.

Sadly both forwards departed the summer after that campaign, with Rodriguez sold to Burnley, but they'll be reunited as part of our team.

With Grant, Gayle, and Rodriguez in the forward line, there certainly won't be a shortage of energy or goals.

Dwight Gayle enjoyed a phenomenal season on loan from Newcastle United in 2018/19 – scoring 24 goals as he fired the Baggies to promotion to the Premier League.

A clever forward and a lethal finisher, the 32-year-old has been linked with a move back to The Hawthorns in pretty much every transfer window since and there was no leaving him out of our XI.

The understanding he built up with the final player in our XI should help the team bag plenty of goals.

The first of our front three, Karlan Grant slots into his preferred role as a left forward.

In a season when the goals seemed to dry up for the Baggies, Grant scored 18 and added seven assists as well.

Albion fans will hope that the best is yet to come from the 24-year-old but based upon what we've seen already and given the system we're keen to play, he has a place in our XI.