Danny Wright

Thu 2 July 2020 20:30, UK

Jake Livermore has paid a brilliant tribute to Chris Brunt ahead of the midfielder ending his association with West Brom at the end of the season.

Brunt, 35, announced last month that he will say his goodbyes to West Brom once the 2019/20 season is concluded after 13 years, over 400 appearances and, as it stands, two promotions to the Premier League.

Everyone at The Hawthorns is praying that Brunt can make that a third promotion this season with the Baggies currently second in the Championship table and five points clear of third-placed Brentford.

Slaven Bilic’s side is also just one point behind leaders Leeds United and although finishing second is enough for most fans, winning the league title would be the perfecting ending to Brunt’s career.

Livermore, who has captained the Baggies this season, has suggested that he was asked whether he and Brunt would lift the Championship trophy together if the club wins the league.

And, of course, the former Tottenham midfielder has given the response that everyone would have hoped.

“I also want to take this opportunity to pay my own tribute to Brunty, who we all know, is now into the final weeks of his Albion playing career,” Livermore said in the latest edition of Albion News [page 11].

“I’ve been at Albion long enough now to understand just what a legend this guy is not only in the eyes of our fans but also around the club generally. Brunty deserves to go down as one of our all-time greats and I am sure that is how he will come to be regarded.

“He has been a credit to himself and the club in the way in which he has handled what would have been a disappointing season for him in terms of starting appearances. Believe me, when you train with the guy, you know he is still firing and fighting to get on the team sheet even now.

“It has been a privilege to play alongside him and call him a team-mate. I was asked a few weeks ago, shortly after the announcement that he would be leaving at the end of the season, whether he would share in any success we might achieve at the end of the season. The answer was a resounding ‘of course’. It’s up to us now to help him get the send-off we are all desperately hoping for.”

Brunt is a West Brom legend – there is no debating that.

How long will it be before we have another player to join us who will make over 400 appearances, wear the captain’s armband, play regularly at international level and in the Premier League and win two promotions?

Livermore is a great captain but he can only hope to have the career at The Hawthorns that Brunt has done.

Albion have six matches left to play of their promotion bid and while Brunt is not a key part of Bilic’s plans, it would be great to see him play at least once more.

Maybe he can bow out by scoring a trademark left-footed free-kick or by whipping in an inch-perfect corner that is headed home by a big centre-half.

Winning the title does not matter as much as finishing in either of the top-two spots but seeing Brunt and Livermore lifting the trophy together would bring a tear to the eye of pretty much all Baggies fans.

In other West Brom news, Alan McInally hailed this “brilliant” Albion player on Wednesday night.

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