West Brom could only dream of having £200k ace in their side right now | OneFootball

Graham Dorrans was a masterstroke of a signing for the Baggies, particularly for the small fee paid for his services.

When Scottish midfielder Graham Dorrans moved to West Brom from Livingston, few could have predicted the immense contributions he would make.

Dorrans was recruited in the 2008 January transfer window, linking up with Tony Mowbray in the Black Country for a reported fee of £200,000.

Prior to his switch to The Hawthorns, Dorrans signed his first professional contract with West Lothian-based team Livingston, having previously spent time at youth-level training with Scottish heavyweights Rangers.

Dorrans established himself as a key member of a Livingston side then playing in the Scottish second tier, with the midfielder finishing the season with an impressive 11 goals in 34 matches and being named the league's Player of the Year.

It seemed a bargain at the time for the Baggies to snip the now 37-year-old for such a measly fee, but expectations would be more than exceeded as the Scotsman went on to flourish in both the Championship and Premier League.

Graham Dorrans thrives in a West Brom shirt

It took a little bit of time for Graham Dorrans to settle into life in B71, with his debut season in the Premier League going far from planned.

He would feature in only 11 matches in all competitions, making his top-flight debut off the bench in a rare victory against Manchester City.

He couldn’t save the Baggies ultimately finishing rock bottom and returning to the second tier, but the following term would see the maestro weave his magic in the blue and white stripes.

Such a creative attacking outlet over the course of that season, Dorrans went on to register 13 goals and 18 assists in a remarkable Championship campaign, with such regular contributions leading Albion to returning to the big time at the first time of asking.

The midfielder scooped many individual rewards off the back of his performances, winning the PFA Fans' Player of the Year award and being included in the PFA Team of The Year.

The then 23-year-old was at the centre of transfer interest from West Ham following his impressive displays, according to talkSPORT, but Dorrans penned a four-year contract with the Baggies to silence any interest.

From that point, Dorrans would go on to help Albion sustain their long-term place in the Premier League, recording over 100 top-flight appearances across five terms, as the Baggies would eventually remain in the top division for eight consecutive seasons.

While his goal contributions didn’t continue at such a rate from his short stint in the Championship, Dorrans was one of the key reasons to Albion having a long spell back in the Premier League, helping more than repay the £200,000 fee spent on him.

£200,000 fee on Graham Dorrans was a bargain

Over the course of his West Brom stay, Graham Dorrans showed fantastic loyalty to the club and remained an ever-present figure in the first team at The Hawthorns, adding a dynamic and creative edge to Albion’s midfield.

With terrific ability from dead ball situations, he also possessed the presence of mind to net fierce strikes or create chances for the forward line on a regular basis, with not many players able to produce that for such a minimal transfer fee.

Albion would be desperate to have someone like Dorrans in their current midfield to add more goals and creativity at the top end of the pitch, and it will be up to Shilen Patel and Andrew Nestor to uncover those sorts of gems in the future to get Albion back to where they want to be.