Graham Dorrans, a Scottish midfielder, was a steal for West Brom when he joined the team from Livingston. Over time, he developed into one of the team’s most reliable players.
While managing West Brom prior to the 2008–09 campaign, Tony Mowbray, the current manager of Birmingham City, acquired Graham Dorrans for the Hawthorns.
The Scotsman committed to joining the West Midlands club at the end of the 2008 season in January. Livingston consented to a payment, which the BBC reports was in the neighborhood of £100,000 or more.
Graham Dorrans, who previously trained at the junior level for record Scottish football champions Rangers, inked his first professional contract with Livingston, a team headquartered in West Lothian.
At the age of 18, Dorrans made his debut as a senior player in the Scottish Premiership during the 2004–05 season with the Lions, substituting for two minutes during a 2-0 loss to Livingston on the road.
The following season, the midfielder made eight appearances overall, including his first league start against Heart of Midlothian, when he played for seventy minutes before Wes Hoolahan, a future icon of Norwich City, took his place.
Dorrans made a name for himself as a vital member of a Livingston team that is currently competing in the Scottish Second Division with Robert Snodgrass, another potential West Brom star. The league’s Player of the Year award went to the midfielder, who concluded the season with an amazing 11 goals in 34 games.
Graham Dorrans’ Success at West Brom
The midfield player did not make West Brom fans happy right away.
Despite playing in just 11 games across all competitions for his team in the 2008–09 campaign, he made his Premier League debut in a win over Man City by substituting in.
The demotion of West Brom to the Championship after finishing bottom in Dorrans’ debut season served as the impetus for the beginning of his career in the Black Country.
Graham Dorrans was named in the PFA Team of the Year and won numerous individual awards, including the PFA Fans’ Player of the Year title for his outstanding midfield efforts.
Dorrans stated, “I find it funny hearing people say I’m the best player in the Championship,” in an interview with Record Sport.
“Although receiving praise for your efforts throughout a season is fantastic, winning Players’ Player of the Year is the greatest accolade I’ve ever received.
“That means the most to me because all the boys I train with every day voted for it. It indicates to me that, on a Saturday, I must be doing something well.”
After an amazing season, West Ham made a bid for the then 23-year-old, according to talkSPORT, but Dorrans signed a four-year contract with the Baggies.
| Graham Dorrans West Brom Statistics (From Transfermarkt) | |
| Appearances | 189 |
| Goals | 26 |
| Assists | 31 |
Dorrans continued to be a key player for his team throughout the next few seasons in the Premier League but struggled for minutes under manager Steve Clarke.
The Scottish international eventually left the Hawthorns for Norwich City in 2015, initially on loan, before agreeing to a permanent deal.
Graham Dorrans’ career after West Brom
After playing for Norwich for just two more seasons, Dorrans returned to Scotland, first with Rangers and then Dundee, Dunfermline Athletic, and Johnstone Burgh, where he is currently a player.
In the 2020–21 season, Dorrans split his time between Dundee and Dunfermline, playing one season for the Western Sydney Wanderers of the Australian A–League.
With twelve caps for his nation, the Scotsman concluded his playing career.
One of West Brom’s best recent acquisitions was Grahame Dorrans; if they can discover another gem of the same caliber to help them reach the Premier League, that would be ideal.
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