West Brom have confirmed that Jimmy Shan has left the club following the appointment of Slaven Bilic.

The 40-year-old has been a very important figure in the background, working in various roles for the club over a 13 year period. And, his big opportunity came last season when he was named as caretaker manager after the sacking of Darren Moore.

With the Baggies hierarchy struggling to find a successor, they confirmed that Shan would lead the side for the remainder of the season as they hoped to win promotion.

Unfortunately for Albion, they came up short in the play-off semi-final against Aston Villa and the board then named Bilic as the new manager this summer.

It was expected that Shan would then revert to his previous job as part of the backroom team but the Championship side revealed on their official site last night that the two parties have 'jointly decided to part company', with chief executive Mark Jenkins praising the coach.

"Jimmy leaves with our blessing and we have no doubt that he will soon be in work elsewhere. We will enjoy watching his progress as a coach from afar and I look forward to our paths crossing again in the future. We wish Jimmy and his family all the very best."

The Verdict

This is a blow for West Brom as Shan is a very respected figure and you could see how much he enjoyed working for the club when he was in charge last season.

The reasons for his departure haven't been mentioned here but sometimes in football these things happen when a new boss comes in.

Bilic will want his own men and Shan may feel as though he can't work in the current setup.

Either way, it's a shame for Albion but the fans will no doubt appreciate the work Shan has done for the club over the years.

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