PLAYER PROFILE

Neil Clement

Position: Defence

Height: 6'0

Weight: 12st 9lbs

Date of Birth: 1978-10-03 Reading, England

Neil Clement

Neil Clement has been one of West Brom's more enduring success stories of recent years. Arriving from Chelsea on loan in March 2000, he quickly impressed the management as well as the fans and it was clear that the club had to secure his long-term signature.

He was Player of the Year in his first full season, and earned a place in the PFA Division One team of the season at the end of his second.

Chelsea's attempts to get £500,000 for his services proved fruitless, but when they finally accepted just £150,000 the Baggies were laughing.

Although initially bought as a left-back, Clement's ability in a more attacking role has been evident in his appearances as a wing-back, as well as his undoubted talents in the heart of the defence playing as part of a back three.

Dangerous with his free kicks and crosses, strong in the air and in possession of a ferocious shot, the Reading-born defender started his career with Chelsea has a trainee. It was clear he wasn't going to make the grade at Stamford Bridge, and he spent time on loan at Reading, Preston and Brentford, before the switch to West Brom.

Clement struggled slighlty when Albion were promoted in the 2002/03 season, although ended the season on a high, after scoring some crucial goals. He's a great free-kick taker, and was ever present in the side which clinched promotion back to the Premiership at the end of the 2003/04 season.

On the Baggies' return to the Barclays Premiership, Clement was an ever-present and important figure. He played 38 games all in all and scored 3 times.

He was a crucial figure in the revival of the team which saw them emerge from 20th and all-but-relegated to 17th and safe in the last few games of the camapaign.

The only downside came after a fiery encounter with Fulham. After committing a professional foul, he was sent-off, but then involved in a fracas with some Fulham players. He was handed a three-match ban on top of the one-match ban for the red-card.

He managed to avoid such controversey in 2005/06, but at the end of this campaign the Baggies were relegated back to the Championship.

Two seasons in the second tier followed, but he was loyal throughout and proved a vital contributer to the promotion season of 2007/08.

He is now the only player in Albion's history to have won three separate promotions.