Steve Bruce reveals transfer reason behind decision to join West Brom

West Bromwich Albion manager Steve Bruce has said the opportunity to rebuild his side is a key reason as to why he decided to become the Baggies’ boss, speaking to the Express and Star.

The 61-year-old first arrived at The Hawthorns in the early stages of February with the West Midlands outfit still hopeful of a top-six finish at that point – but he struggled during the early stages of his tenure as he won just one point from a possible 15 in his opening five league games at the helm.

A mini-resurgence in March put them back in with a shout of reaching the top six – but inconsistency has continued to stifle their progress and this has proven to be the big reason behind their downfall.

A late penalty against Coventry City at the weekend gave them hope of staying in the race mathematically – but Ben Wilson’s save from Karlan Grant’s poor spot-kick consigned Albion to another draw in a game they should have taken all three points from.

Regardless of which division they would have been in next season though, considerable surgery looked and still looks like nothing short of requirement with the Baggies struggling in front of goal and also showing defensive frailties at times over the past nine months.

The prospect of freshening his team up was one of the reasons behind why Bruce put pen to paper on a contract at Albion according to the 61-year-old himself, who has endured success in the second tier before, after making alterations to his squad.

He said: “I always have enjoyed it (building a squad) and that is probably why I am here.

“It’s what I’ve done for the past 20-years and I’m quietly confident that we can do it.

“We have got great support, it’s a great club with a fiercely loyal fan base. Fiercely loyal which is