Bobby Zamora finished his Albion career with a tinge of regret after not being able to fire the side he initially joined in 2000 up to the Premier League.
It was a feat he would achieve with this weekend’s visitors West Ham in 2005, when he was the goalscoring hero in their play-off final.
“We beat Ipswich to reach the Play-Off Final against Crystal Palace but lost 1-0 in Cardiff in 2004,” the striker recalls. “The following season we lost Michael Carrick to Tottenham, but we again beat Ipswich at the semi-final stage to reach the final against Preston.
“I managed to score three goals over the two legs that year, including a nice volley which booked our place in the final, and we were determined to go one better this time. We still had plenty of experience in the squad and we knew what to expect going into that one-off game.
“We were favourites to win but didn’t feel any extra pressure in the build-up or on the day. Fortunately for me, I got the only goal of the game and that was just an incredible feeling – to know I’d done my bit to get the club back where it belonged.
“It was always a great atmosphere down there, singing ‘Bubbles’, and I count myself honoured and privileged to have played for the club that I grew up supporting.”
The 40-year-old made a name for himself on the South Coast in the early 2000s, scoring 83 times in just 136 appearances as Albion won back-to-back promotions to the Championship.
He would return for the 2015/16 campaign – his final season as a professional – but was part of a team that fell agonisingly short of automatic promotion to the top-tier.
“It was a bit frustrating, what with the injury and the way the season ended at Middlesbrough, but on reflection, it was great to end my career at another club I love, and where I had such fond memories. Unfortunately I never lasted the season because of my hip injury; I was missing training sessions as it was, and although the brain was willing, the body just couldn’t do it anymore, and it was so frustrating.
“I’d scored seven goals up to the end of January and if I could have stayed fit I had enough confidence in my ability that I could have made a decent contribution in the second half of the season. The fact that we only missed on automatic promotion by one goal made it even harder to take.”
Albion would go onto achieve their aim the following season which Zamora wasn’t shocked about in the slightest.
“I knew the mindset of the squad, the quality they had, the quality of the manager and the drive and determination of the chairman. With all those elements, along with the fans’ support, I knew it could be a successful season.
“It was a shame that the boys missed out on the title after getting so close, but promotion would have been the aim so fair play to them. They deserved it. They were brilliant.”