Why West Brom could be partly to blame if England are eliminated from World Cup

West Brom may not have any players at the World Cup, but that is not to say they are not being represented in some small part.

The Baggies have played a part in the development of multiple players at FIFA's global showpiece.

Morgan Rogers, who came through Albion's academy, is doing his bit for England.

Romelu Lukaku's career took off at West Brom, meanwhile, and Chris Wood is a somewhat lesser-known ex-Albion player to the outside world.

But there is another player who is arguably making bigger waves than each of those.

Norway's Torbjorn Heggem may not have spent long at West Brom, but the Baggies have been thanked for helping to propel his career.

Torbjorn Heggem's father thanks West Brom

Heggem spent less than 12 months at The Hawthorns after being spotted playing for IF Brommapojkarna.

It is fair to say no West Brom fan knew what to expect of the defender, beyond some low-quality YouTube clips.

The now-27-year-old stood out in West Brom's defence across 45 Championship appearances in 2024-25.

That was enough for Bologna to come calling with a massive £10million bid, which West Brom clearly could not turn down.

While his time in the West Midlands was short, Heggem would not be part of Norway's World Cup squad if not for that stint, in the view of his dad.

"Two years ago, he was playing in Sweden, and I think no-one knew who he was," Trond Heggem told BBC Radio WM.

"Now he's a part of a team representing the country at a great summer football party, and it's totally incredible.

"He and we all are very grateful for the time [he spent at West Brom]. For the way they treated him, and especially the way the fans treated him when he was there, and still are."

Heggem could now play a part in breaking the hearts of England fans this weekend.

Heggem's World Cup journey so far - and why England should be scared

Heggem has started four of Norway's five games on their run to the quarter-finals, where England await on Saturday night.

The one game the centre-back missed was the group-stage clash against France when boss Stale Solbakken heavily rotated.

Only four Norway players have been used in more minutes this tournament, so it is fair to say Heggem has been a key part of this success.

He is averaging 4.5 clearances per game, which only Kristoffer Ajer (eight) can better.

Heggem's 0.8 blocks per game, meanwhile, is second only to Thelo Aasgaard (one).

Norway have been very solid at the back, allowing Erling Haaland to do the rest at the other end of the field.

If Heggem can keep Harry Kane & Co. quiet this weekend, many West Brom fans will not know whether to laugh or cry.