Graham Dorrans: I came close to leaving

West Brom stalwart midfielder Graham Dorrans is pleased to have put pen to paper on a new three-year contract - but was incredibly close to leaving last season.

The Scot found himself on the fringes of the team during Steve Clarke's spell at the Hawthorns, and was speaking to other clubs about a potential move away.

But following the appointment of Pepe Mel he found himself back in the side, with performances which convinced the club to activate a 12-month option at the end of last season.

And last week the Scotland international signed an improved three-year deal, which will keep him with the Baggies until 2017.

About how close he was to leaving, he said: "I spoke to a couple of other clubs but it wasn't to be in the end, it didn't materialise on the last day.

"But I've always kept my head down, kept working away, and that's all I can do.

"If the manager doesn't pick you, you are contracted to the club and you keep going and that's what I did, I got myself back in and enjoyed it again.

"I just want to be playing football, that's the be all and end all at the end of the day."

He added: "The manager obviously had his own ideas when he was here, Steve Clarke, and I never played. You'd have to ask him why, I don't know, he didn't speak to me much about it.

"But Pepe came in and I came back into the squad, managed to do okay, scored a couple of goals, and enjoyed it again.

"The main thing for me is that I'm playing and enjoying it, and that's what I did in the last six months. If I'm back involved then why not stay here for the extra few years, because I've been here for seven years and I've enjoyed every year I've been here.

"If I'm involved with the squads and going away for the games rather than sitting in the house on Saturday afternoon, that was the main problem for me, so getting back into the squad and getting offered a new contract - I was happy to sign if I'm going to be involved."

Dorrans scored the only goal from the penalty spot in the first of a double-header against Sacramento Republic on Monday night.

He is enjoying pre-season, and said new boss Alan Irvine is slowly beginning to introduce his own methods and style to the team.

"The gaffer's come in, training's been good, the boys have been enjoying it," he said. "We've been doing fitness the past couple of weeks and are starting to ease off a little bit now as the games come thick, and fast so it's just about getting that match fitness up.

"During the game you can see they were probably a little bit fitter than us, they are in the middle of the season and have had about 10 games but as I said we will get there, it's about getting the minutes on the pitch and that's what were getting.

"Obviously a few of the boys are still injured so they've got to come back, and we will do some tactical stuff when they are back, but training's been enjoyable, the gaffer's putting in his own ideas."

Following his reintroduction into the team he is now hoping to of intrude his involvement with his national side, and has his eye on their friendly with England in Glasgow in November.

He said: "Hopefully I'll be involved, I was involved in the last game [against England].

"It was an exciting game, we lost in the end, but they are massive games. Everybody wants to be involved in games like that when you are younger, you watch games like that and it's what you want to be involved in, so hopefully I can get back in and stay in."