Steve Bruce reveals how he made Grady Diangana smile in West Brom training

Steve Bruce wants to breathe new life into Grady Diangana after taking over at West Brom.

Winger Diangana, heralded by Bruce’s predecessor Valerien Ismael only recently as one of the best players in the Championship, has managed a couple of false dawns this season as fans live in the hope that he can rediscover his very best form on a consistent basis - the sort of level he was at under Slaven Bilic in 2019.

For so long, and for a variety of reasons, Diangana hasn’t been at his electric best. When he’s on his game, it can be box office stuff, the reason you pay the admission fee, as they say.

Ismael lay the gauntlet down to Diangana, who produced recently with a fine cameo and tremendous finish against Peterborough, but Bruce wants to see what entertained him from afar every week.

“I think it’s important you unlock that,” Bruce explained. “I said to him today: ‘Do I have to learn how to speak Croatian to get the best out of you?’ and he smiled at me – I got a response!

“I remember him as a talent a couple of years ago when Slaven had him and he played really well. He’s a player you’d come and play to watch. He’s a natural. For whatever reason maybe he hasn’t had the best of times.

“Can I get the best out of him, can I bring him back to life and give him a bit of confidence – that is probably what he needs, but that’s the same for a few of the players.”

Bruce does have a track record with such players.

Jack Grealish produced some of his best form at Aston Villa under Bruce. You only have to look at Allan Saint-Maximin, the Newcastle playmaker, too, who is a joy to watch most weeks for the sheer fact that he is so unpredictable.

Diangana, too, can still be that livewire in Albion colours, the type to terrify