Torbjorn Heggem given ultimate praise after what’s happened since West Brom exit
Torbjorn Heggem certainly made a big impact on West Brom supporters during his short time at The Hawthorns.
Heggem joined Bologna for a reported £10million in the summer, which is a mammoth profit on the £600,000 West Brom paid to sign the defender a year prior.
That steep rise is down to the Norwegian’s performances on the pitch, which saw Heggem emerge as a fan favourite among the West Brom faithful.
And it seems the 26-year-old is already doing likewise at his new club in Italy if comments by Bologna director Giovanni Sartori are anything to go by.
Torbjorn Heggem quickly adapts to life at Bologna
Heggem has been a regular at the back for Bologna since joining in mid-August, playing his part in three clean sheets in five Serie A matches.
As the stats via Sofascore show, Heggem‘s figures this season are very similar to his campaign at West Brom last time out in certain areas.
| West Brom 24/25 | Stats (per 90) | Bologna 25/26 |
| 0.3 | Clean Sheets | 1 |
| 1.6 | Tackles | 1.6 |
| 0.7 | Interceptions | 0.4 |
| 2.4 | Aerial Duels Won | 0.8 |
| 0.2 | Dribbled Past | 0.0 |
And while he has only been at Bologna for a couple of months, already Heggem has earned massive praise from Sartori.
In an interview with La Repubblica on Thursday, the Bologna chief was asked who in the squad would be able to fill the void left by Sam Beukema, who joined Napoli in the summer.
Beukema is considered a bit of a club hero given his part in Bologna’s recent rise, including last season’s Coppa Italia triumph.
“Who will be the new Beukema? It could be Heggem,” Sartori said. “That’s because reliability is the first of the 10 commandments of football and he, like Sam, is a regular.”
That is high praise indeed for Heggem, who has been available at every possibly opportunity since joining.
What is West Brom’s defensive record since Heggem left?
West Brom were told they would regret Heggem’s exit, but ultimately there was little that could be done.
Albion have made a rather mixed start under Ryan Mason, with their defensive record certainly not the best.
Indeed, since Heggem helped West Brom keep a clean sheet in a 1-0 win over Blackburn on the opening weekend, there have been just two shutouts in nine matches since.
Albion have conceded 10 goals in total in the Championship, which places them joint-ninth in the division alongside Swansea City and Bristol City.
Heggem has left a big void to be filled, but it appears he is already filling a similar-sized void at new club Bologna.
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