West Brom hit the transfer jackpot thanks to Ipswich Town | OneFootball

The Baggies acquisition of Gareth McAuley will go down as one of the club’s greatest ever signings in modern times.

One of West Brom’s greatest-ever signings in their modern era 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 fresh to their top-flight stint.

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

Particularly prominent under Tony Pulis, not many could have envisaged 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 excellent spell 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, featuring 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-place 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, McAuley embodied Pulis’s style of play, a centre-back who would get any part of his body on the ball to clear his lines, 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 a West Brom legend for his service

An incredible servant to the club, Gareth McAuley was such a crucial figure to West Brom maintaining their stay in the Premier League for so long, and it was a brilliant piece of business to land a player on a free transfer who created such a lasting legacy.

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

It may have been a mistake to leave such an experienced defender at that level out of the squad at the time, and we’ll never know whether regular appearances from McAuley may have turned the Baggies’ fortunes around and kept them in the big time for a while longer.

On the other hand, with McAuley’s career at The Hawthorns on the decline, West Brom should have perhaps parted ways with the defender the season prior and received a sizeable profit from such a small investment, with his contributions to the team far from warranting an eventual exit on a free transfer.

Despite that, the 6 ft 5 in defender was a terrific addition for the majority of his time at B71, embodying the spirit and passion of the club, while always being available when called upon certainly puts him in the category of being a Baggies legend.

Albion definitely 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 unwavering effort and commitment.

McAuley was a prime example of the top level of recruitment Albion had all those years ago that led to them being one of the leading clubs in English football, and they will be hopeful of replicating this and uncovering gems in the present day to get themselves back amongst the biggest and best sides in the country.