Gareth: Why club refused to play me...

GARETH McAuley has revealed why Albion refused to play him during their plummet out of the Premier League.

The defender insists he was in good shape and wanted to play during the relegation battle, but was told the club would “look stupid” if they picked him ahead of Jonny Evans or Ahmed Hegazi.

It prompted a disappointing end to McAuley’s Albion career as The Hawthorns hero was released when his contract expired in the summer.

The 38-year-old asked to go out on loan but the Baggies insisted on him staying at the club in case he was needed as emergency back-up.

McAuley explained: “My head and my heart were saying, ‘You have to fight and try and help the club’.

“So I went and asked the hierarchy, ‘What do I need to do to get in the team?’ ‘Nothing’, they said.

“‘What do you mean nothing?’ I replied.

‘Jonny is worth £30 million and we gave Ahmed five years, so if we play you we’re going to look stupid’. ”

“I said, ‘We’ve just lost four games in a row, surely you’re going to do something?’ ‘No’, they said.

“I said, ‘OK, I need to play, can I go on loan?’ ‘No, you can’t because we might sell Jonny and you might have to play.

“We’re not going to play you but you can’t leave’.

“From January on it was difficult.”

McAuley expected to get a new deal under Darren Moore this season, but the Baggies boss told the Northern Ireland international the club had reservations about his age, even though his fitness stats remained high.

“I spoke to Big Mooro,” said McAuley.

“He said if he got the job, he’d want me around. All the summer I was preparing myself to go back. Then I got a call from Big Mooro.

“He said, ‘Look, the club have a problem with your age’. ‘OK. Can you show me on the GPS?’ My figures were always good.”