Shane tells Albion to do it for Daryl

FORMER Albion striker Shane Long would like to the club secure promotion for stricken forward Daryl Dike, whose rotten luck with injuries continued when he suffered another ruptured Achilles at Ipswich Town in February.

Long has taken an interest from afar in the Baggies, and he deems their strength in depth to be a considerable advantage as they race to secure their play-off place.

While we won’t see Dike (pictured) again this season, and perhaps not even this year, Long believes Albion have all the motivation they need.

“Things have been really up and down for West Brom over the last few years, so it’s nice to see them playing attractive football again,” he told the Ladbrokes Fanzone. “I think they’ve lost just one of their last 10 games, which is a great run to be on, particularly at this time of the season. “The West Brom fans are brilliant, and they support a team which really should be in the Premier League. There’s a lot of excitement around the club at the moment, and I’m really looking forward to seeing how the play-offs pan out, because three of my former clubs could be in among it!

“Grady Diangana excites me, as does Mikey Johnston, obviously... John Swift is a top player who can cut teams apart. You’ve also got Jed Wallace; and then so much experience at the back.

“It’s such a shame to see Daryl Dike out with another long-term injury; he reminded me a little bit of Romelu Lukaku. I played against him when he was at Barnsley and he’s such a tough opponent. But with those big legs and that power and speed, comes injuries.

“Hopefully Dike’s injury is something the players can rally around, and even use as motivation; you know, do it for him... make sure he’s returning as a Premier League player.”