View: West Brom star rarely-used by Bilic shone v Preston, could be mainstay for rest of season
If you told a West Brom fan in the summer that Ahmed Hegazi would struggle for first-team football this season, they would have found it tough to believe you.
Although none of Albion’s back-line really stood out last season, Hegazi was widely seen as the best centre-back at The Hawthorns and his summer surgery on an ankle injury was a massive blow.
The 29-year-old did not return to full fitness until midway through October but by then, Kyle Bartley had asserted himself in Slaven Bilic’s starting line-up alongside Semi Ajayi.
Hegazi, rightly, found it tough to break up that centre-back partnership as he struggled in the few appearances he was handed and both Bartley and Ajayi simply look the better options.
There were worries that the Egypt international could have left The Hawthorns in January with Sky Sports reporting that Saudi Arabian side Al-Ittihad had tabled a bid for the defender.
However, after his last two performances, it is a good job that a move away from the Black Country failed to materialise for the former Fiorentina man.
Hegazi was drafted back into Bilic’s starting line-up at the weekend as West Brom won 3-0 against Bristol City at Ashton Gate.
He held on to that starting spot on Tuesday night in the 2-0 win against Preston as Albion strung together two consecutive clean sheets for just the third time this season in the Championship.
Hegazi played a vital role in that as he impressed both on and off the ball for the Baggies.
According to stats by WhoScored, Hegazi won all five of the tackles he attempted against Preston – more than any other player on the pitch – and also won two aerial duels and made four clearances.
Hegazi almost scored too in the second half when a powerful effort from the edge of the penalty area went just wide of the Preston goal.
Bartley could only watch on from the bench as his replacement impressed for a second game in a row and based on those performances by the Egyptian colossus, it would not be a shock to see him become a mainstay for the rest of the season.
In other West Brom news, fans were left wowed by this teenager’s display against Preston.