West Brom landed Gareth McAuley transfer gold with Ipswich Town agreement | OneFootball

The Baggies secured one of their best-ever signings when bringing Gareth McAuley to The Hawthorns.

One of West Brom’s best-ever signings in the club’s history has to be Gareth McAuley.

The former Northern Ireland international linked up at The Hawthorns on a free transfer from Ipswich Town in the summer of 2011, with many of the West Brom faithful at the time questioning whether it was the right move, particularly as Albion were pretty new to their top-flight stint.

But the defender would age like a fine wine, being an ever-present figure in the Premier League and regularly involved in top-flight action up until the age of 38.

Particularly prominent under Tony Pulis, not many could have imagined the impact McAuley would have on Albion having such a lengthy Premier League stay, with him contributing to the club possessing such a watertight defence under multiple regimes.

Gareth McAuley’s superb stay at West Brom

When looking at Gareth McAuley’s signing at face value, it was an addition that appeared pretty underwhelming. The central defender had an established career within the EFL pyramid up to that point but was considered not quite good enough to make the jump to the Premier League.

But McAuley would prove all the doubters wrong, improving season-upon-season to be such a valued and vital cog to the Albion machine.

Originally joining under Roy Hodgson, McAuley was a dependable and no-nonsense central defender, with his ability to get on the end of dead-ball deliveries proving a vital weapon for the Baggies during his time with the club.

McAuley would feature in the majority of Albion games in his first season, while only missing two matches the following campaign as the Black Country outfit recorded an eighth-placed finish in the Premier League.

A towering figure and natural leader in the backline, the former Rangers man was a prominent figure under different systems, maintaining solid displays under the likes of Pepe Mel and Alan Irvine as Albion narrowly managed to retain their Premier League status.

But when Tony Pulis came in to replace Irvine at the beginning of 2015, McAuley’s stock rose even further, with the central defender such a focal point from set pieces by netting six times in the 2016/17 season.

Forming an integral partnership with Jonny Evans at the heart of the backline, McAuley embodied Pulis’s style of play, a centre-back who would kick and head anything that came his way, while having a threat in both boxes that turned him into such a well-rounded Premier League defender.

Across seven Premier League seasons, McAuley made over 200 appearances in the blue and white stripes, netting 15 times in the process.

Gareth McAuley will go down as one of West Brom’s best-ever bargain buys

An incredible servant to the club, Gareth McAuley was such an imperative figure to West Brom maintaining their stay in the Premier League for so long, and it was such a brilliant piece of business for a free transfer to have such a lasting impact on the club.

McAuley’s stay at Albion would end on a sour note, losing his place under all of Tony Pulis, Alan Pardew and Darren Moore following the arrival of Egyptian defender Ahmed Hegazi.

Despite that, the 6 ft 5 in defender was a terrific addition, epitomising the spirit and passion of the club as well as always being there when called upon.

Albion certainly got the best out of McAuley, with the defender experiencing the best days of his career the older he became. He will always be remembered fondly at The Hawthorns for his impeccable effort and commitment.