Albion manager Tony Mowbray today revealed how the signing of Dutch defender Ryan Donk has ended a transfer chase lasting several years.

Mowbray has been monitoring the Holland under-21 international since he was a teenager and the Baggies boss finally landed his man yesterday on a one-year loan deal from AZ Alkmaar.

Mowbray said: “We’ve signed a young defender with a good pedigree whose talent has been nurtured for the last two years by Louis van Gaal (Alkmaar’s manager).

“Ryan’s a player I’ve been monitoring for a few years and, alongside Gianni Zuiverloon, he was part of the Dutch Under-21 team which won the European Championships last year.

“Although Ryan’s still only 22, he has a huge physical presence and I’m delighted to have added him to our defensive options.

“Leon Barnett and Abdoulaye Meite have done very well in central defence but everyone saw on Saturday how stretched we were in that department when ‘Abou’ went off injured and Gianni had to move into the middle.

“We’ve now got plenty of competition for places in that area and I’m sure the fact Ryan knows Gianni really well will help him settle in quickly.”

Donk, who is good friends with £3.2m signing Zuiverloon, became Albion’s second central defensive signing in two days when he joined Swede Jonas Olsson.

Olsson signed for £800,000 on Sunday from NEC Nijmegen. Donk’s loan was completed with a view to a permanent deal.

The 6ft 4in Donk began his career at Amsterdam-based amateur club AVV Zeeburgia before joining RKC Waalwijk at the age of 18. He was signed by AZ in 2006.