Graham Potter has spoken about his enduring relationship with Lewis Dunk as the Albion captain prepares to return to Premier League action.
"I have huge respect for him, I love him,” said Potter. “He's a really good man.
“We have worked together for two-and-a-half years and we’re both at the stage where if we thought we needed to speak more we could certainly solve that quickly.
"He's low maintenance. He's not one to come in for a philosophical chat about the state of the universe or anything, with the greatest of respect to him.
“But it's important to have a regular communication with him. Sometimes it's a quick chat in the coffee area or it's a more formal conversation.
"He just wants to play football, to be out there. He's really important for us. He's an intelligent guy, especially when it comes to football. He knows the game and he understands what we're trying to do.”
The 30-year-old defender, who has made 157 Premier League appearances for the club, hasn’t played a league game since the 1-1 draw at West Ham on 1 December but returned after a knee injury in last week’s Emirates FA Cup defeat at Spurs.
As Albion prepare to face Watford at Vicarage Road today, Potter says it will take time for Dunk to get back up to his best level.
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“Even though he is our best player in terms of how much he has given to the club, and what he gives, he is still a human being who has had an injury so he’s not going to be at his top level on day one.
But I thought he did well against Spurs. You can see moments when he is a little bit rusty, but it was great to have him back. It’s important for us because in the second half of the season we need as many good players as we can, and clearly Lewis is one of our best.
“He wants to play every minute and he will run through a brick wall for you so it’s not the easiest thing to be careful with him. You have got to let him go and just manage his load and consider how he is after each game. But he has recovered well and he is ready to play on Saturday which is important for us.”