Scottish midfielder Graham Dorrans arrived at West Brom from Livingston and eventually became one of the club’s most consistent performers, showing that the fee they paid for him turned out to be a bargain.Current Birmingham City manager Tony Mowbray bought Graham Dorrans to the Hawthorns ahead of the 2008/09 season when he was West Brom manager.

In January 2008, the Scotsman agreed to join the West Midlands club at the end of the season. A fee was agreed with Livingston, likely to be in the region of £100,000 according to the BBC.

Graham Dorrans earned his first professional deal with West Lothian-based outfit Livingston, having previously spent time at youth-level training with record Scottish football champions Rangers.

It was with the Lions that Dorrans made his debut senior game in the 2004/05 Scottish Premiership at 18, coming on as a replacement for two minutes in a 2-0 away loss to Livingston.

The midfielder featured more in the next campaign with eight total appearances, including his first league start against Heart of Midlothian, where he played for 70 minutes and was finally substituted by future Norwich City legend Wes Hoolahan.

Dorrans established himself as a major member of a Livingston side now playing in the Scottish second tier alongside another future West Brom player, Robert Snodgrass. The midfielder concluded the season with an incredible 11 goals in 34 matches and was voted the league’s Player of the Year.

Graham Dorrans’ Success at West Brom

The midfielder was not an instant success for West Brom.

He played only 11 matches for his team in all competitions in the 2008/09 season but did make his Premier League debut off the bench in a triumph against Man City.

West Brom’s relegation to the Championship following a last-placed finish in Dorrans’ rookie season proved to be a catalyst that kick-started his career in the Black Country.

In the 2009/10 Championship season, the Scotsman scored 13 goals and contributed 18 assists in 45 matches as the Baggies bounced back to the Premier League.

Graham Dorrans collected many individual honors, including the PFA Fans’ Player of the Year award, following his strong midfield displays, and was featured in the PFA Team of The Year.

In an interview with Record Sport, Dorrans said: “I find it funny hearing people say I’m the best player in the Championship.

“It’s good to earn recognized for your efforts during a season but the biggest praise I’ve gotten is getting the Players’ Player of the Year award.

“That’s voted for by all the boys I train with every day and that means the most to me. It tells me I must be doing something right on a Saturday.”

The then 23-year-old was the centre of a bid from West Ham following his amazing season, according to talkSPORT, but Dorrans penned a four-year contract with the Baggies.

Dorrans continued to be a significant player for his side for the next few seasons in the Premier League but battled 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 transfer.

Graham Dorrans’ career after West Brom

Dorrans lasted only two more seasons in England with Norwich, before returning to his native nation of Scotland with Rangers and later Dundee, Dunfermline Athletic, and Johnstone Burgh, where he is still playing now.

Between Dundee and Dunfermline, Dorrans played one season for the Australian A-League team Western Sydney Wanderers in the 2020/21 season.

The Scotsman concluded his career with 12 caps for his country.

Grahame Dorrans proved to be one of West Brom’s smartest buys of recent times, and they will aim to discover a similar gem in the future to catapult them to the Premier League.

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