Amid the all the singing and dancing that followed West Bromwich Albion?s miraculous last-day escape from Premiership purgatory stood a man with the quiet satisfaction of someone savouring complete vindication.

Just six months after being persona non grata at The Hawthorns, Ronnie Wallwork glowed with the knowledge that his part in the Baggies? survival had been greater than most.

The defensive midfielder has not missed a game in 2005 and Albion have more than tripled their points tally in that time. The two statistics are related.

But it wasn?t always that way. In the year prior to him returning to the Albion lineup, Wallwork had not featured at all. In fact between August 2003 and December last year, he had played as many games on loan to Bryan Robson?s Bradford City, as he had for Gary Megson?s Albion.

Those dark days coincided with the most divisive of Megson?s reign as the 27-year-old barely made the match-day squad and was forced to watch his team-mates on the television.

?I thought my Albion days were over,? said Wallwork. ?It was hard for me I was at home watching our games on Sky like anyone else would be ? just left out totally.?

Then comes the killer line: ?That was up to Gary Megson. It just shows where he is at the minute.? Relegated into League One is where, having failed to arrest the decline of Nottingham Forest.

Wallwork hailed Robson?s role in the team ? s transformation.

?As soon as the gaffer came in everyone wanted to play for him. It was totally different to Gary Megson,? he said. ?He was a legend playing for Man United and England and everyone was delighted to play for someone like that.

?I have never seen scenes like that before. I have been at [Manchester] United when we have won the league but this takes anything like that.?

And Greening accepts that the turnaround wasn?t instant. ?He [Robson] had to come in here and look at everybody and see what he wanted to do,? he said.

?The fans didn?t take to him at first but now they can see where we are now ? in the Premiership.?

Unlike a certain former manager.