Torbjorn Heggem has surely handed West Brom a priceless new transfer advantage

Torbjorn Heggem remains in high regard at West Bromwich Albion, a year after his exit.

The defender made a £10million switch to Bologna last summer after an impressive season in the Championship.

Arriving from IF Brommapojkarna for £600,000 in 2024, the Norwegian proved a real bargain for the Baggies.

Now, he is set to take part in a World Cup quarter-final with Norway against England, while his stock as a defender continues to rise.

Despite his current stature on the continent, he continues to speak highly of West Brom.

And in regards to his long-term impact at The Hawthorns, he may have handed the Albion a big advantage in the transfer market.

West Brom are still held in high regard by Torbjorn Heggem and family

After the obvious disappointment following his exit, there has been a sense of pride in seeing Heggem develop into a Europa League and international defender.

Ahead of Norway's World Cup quarter-final clash with England on Saturday, Heggem's father outlined how West Brom will always be fondly remembered in the family.

"He had a tremendous time, an unbelievable time at West Bromwich," Heggem's faher, Trond Heggem, told BBC Radio WM.

"If it hadn't been for them being able to see him in Sweden and picking him up, he wouldn't be in the World Cup now, I'm quite sure.

"Two years ago, he was playing in Sweden and I think no-one knew who he was. Now he's part of a team representing the country at a great summer football party, and it's totally incredible," he added.

Looking back at his time in the Black Country, Trond looked back on the club's hospitality as a huge plus point.

"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 fans treated him when he was there, and still are."

Of course, the Baggies would have loved to have kept the defender, but he did bring his fair share of financial value, and continues to do West Brom's marketing a year after his departure.

Heggem family do West Brom's transfer work for them after incredible rise

West Brom are a huge club in the Championship landscape - one who should always be carrying promotion ambitions.

But, the Baggies have been through a turbulent period in recent years, meaning that any fees along the lines of what was received for Heggem will always be welcome.

Now, the goal for the coming years will be to unearth yet more gems as they did with the Norwegian defender, before either selling for a big profit, or even pushing for promotion with them .

And when it comes to convincing players of the project, Heggem and his father have done half of the work.

Joining in 2024, he left later for a sizeable fee, while the opportunity would have been there to stay had Albion been fighting for promotion at the time.

This is a win-win situation for the club.

They have proven themselves as a solid developer of talent, while potential Premier League ambitions would be even better.

West Brom are a big club in the Championship, and this is completely backed up with how they are spoken about by players even after leaving the club.