James Morrison’s resurgent Baggies are two places and one point behind West Ham United currently, and can leapfrog their opponents with a win this weekend.

Ian Pearce did not stay at Upton Park long enough to sample the sweet taste of promotion in claret and blue. The former centre-back left to join Fulham in January 2004, while Alan Pardew would need to wait until May 2005 for Bobby Zamora to break Preston hearts in Cardiff.

Former West Ham United stalwart Ian Pearce is West Brom’s sporting director

Now 52, Pearce is hoping to achieve as a sporting director what he never did as a player. West Ham’s 1999 Hammer of the Year runner-up is a highly-influential figure behind the scenes at The Hawthorns these days.

Initially appointed as The Baggies’ chief scout eight years ago, Pearce has been instrumental in easing the transition following a £60 million takeover in 2024. While his track record is mixed – as is the case for most sporting directors – he was key to the successful appointments of Carlos Corberan and current incumbent Morrison, while also helping the club make big profits on the likes of Brandon Thomas-Asante, Semi Ajayi and Torbjorn Heggem.

This term, Jimmy-Jay Morgan has been a revelation up top, having joined from Chelsea after a fine loan spell with Peterborough United. Isaac Price, one of the league’s best goalscoring midfielders on his day, cost just £2.5 million.

And Aune Heggebo, among the biggest swings of Pearce’s tenure at £4.5 million, is starting to live up to his undoubted potential with four league goals this season.

In his playing days, Pearce was a dependable centre-back who spent seven years at West Ham. He even finished second behind goalkeeper Shaka Hislop in the 1999 Hammer of the Year running, following a fifth-place Premier League finish under Harry Redknapp.

Now, he is trying to get back to the big time, putting his experience to good use in a different role. The fact that West Brom are fifth now, having ended up just one place above the relegation zone last May with rookie boss Morrison leading a remarkable turnaround, suggests Ian Pearce is performing his duties pretty effectively.