Not only is John Hartson a goalscorer of some repute he also happens to be an affable and erudite man.

Contrary to ill-informed hearsay, the 31-year-old's persona is incomparable to the muscular vociferous approach he adopts on the pitch.

After opening his goal account for West Bromwich Albion against Motherwell on Sunday, Hartson was in particularly high spirits when talking at the club's plush Dalmahoy Hotel just outside Edinburgh.

Expectations and John Hartson are comfortable bedfellows and he carries the weight with some aplomb.

Four times during his last five seasons in the Scottish Premier League, he has passed the 20-goal mark. Any repetition of that achievement will surely ensure Albion are serious contenders for a swift return to the Premiership.

Hartson is likely to play a prominent role in Albion's final game on their tour of Scotland against Dunfermline this evening (7.45pm) and will be looking to build on his impressive performance at Fir Park on Sunday.

His burgeoning partnership with Nathan Ellington will be pivotal to Albion's chances of success this season and he is fully aware of that responsibility.

"Everyone tells me that this division is a nightmare to get out of," said Hartson. "It is going to take a lot of hard work, good play and one of your strikers to be up and around the 20-goal mark.

"During the last five seasons at Celtic I have hit 20 plus in four of them. The first season I got 25, then 24 and then 11, as I had two back operations. The fourth season I got 30 and last year I scored 21.

"The Scottish Premier League might be completely different to the Championship. It might be easier, it might be harder. I really don't know.

"I pride myself on the fact that I want to score goals. Whether or not I can do it next year remains to be seen.

"It is always nice to get off the mark, especially with a 30-yard screamer," laughed Hartson, referring to his close range effort against Motherwell.

"That was my third 90 minutes. It isn't a competitive goal in the league and won't go on your record, but it is still nice to score your first goal.

"Hopefully there will be a few more to come in the league if I can keep myself right and injury free.

"If we create chances then I have no doubt I will get goals, but we will need goals from other areas as well.

"We will need the midfielders to chip in with a few and the centre halves to come up and score from the odd corner, if we are going to progress."

If Hartson is to break through the 20-goal barrier, then he will need to be fully fit and firing on all cylinders come August 5 when the Championship season kicks off.

A brute of a man, Hartson is the first to admit that pre-season is not a barrel of laughs for him as he strives for peak fitness.

"I feel good," he said. "I have never been great in pre-season. Even when I was 17 at Luton, I was at the back edging towards the goalkeepers.

"I have just got to get myself to a level where I know that I can go into games and give my all.

"Pre-season for footballers is a nightmare anyway especially for someone like myself, who is a big guy anyway and never been the best on the long running. But my fitness is alright. I am not carrying any knocks so that's important. "I will be looking to use the next two or three games to get somewhere nearer where I want to be."