Craig Dawson proud of West Brom role

When the dust has settled on this season, West Brom defender Craig Dawson will look back with pride on what he has achieved.

Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy's rise to prominence has gone down in football folklore, but Albion have their own non-league success story too.

Dawson began his career at Radcliffe Borough in the Northern Premier League, but this season he started all 38 of Albion's Premier League games.

It's an achievement only club captain Darren Fletcher managed to match.

In fact, were it not for a minor foot injury that forced the right-back off 35 minutes before the end of March's home victory over Manchester United, he would have played every single minute.

Dawson said: "To play 38 games is a great achievement for me. I feel as though I have had a good season and that I have performed well in those 38 games.

"The Premier League is the hardest league in the world and it takes some effort to play right the way through the season."

At the start of the campaign there were question marks over Dawson's ability to play right-back, and even now, he still believes his best position is central.

But his crossing has greatly improved this season and now he's a genuine threat up that right wing.

He finished the season with four goals, putting him joint-second in the club's Premier League goal-scoring charts, and he appears to be unbeatable in the air at both ends of the pitch.

Another season of progress like this one and perhaps national boss Roy Hodgson will start to take notice of the former England under-21 defender.

For now though, Dawson is just focused on Albion, continuing: "We have done well as a squad, but there are improvements needed for next season.

"I have been playing out of position at right-back but I have enjoyed it and I feel as though I have learnt a lot."

In order to feature in all 38 games, somewhere along the line the pain barrier will have to be broken.

Dawson came back as quickly as he could from his aggravated foot injury in March and Fletcher has been playing on a knee injury for the last six weeks of the season.

Head coach Tony Pulis revealed: "Fletcher has had a knee injury and hurt his ligaments about six weeks ago but he's carried on playing with a couple of injections.

"We've been careful with him in training. For him to come here and play 38 games – and be an absolute dream – is fantastic.

"He's been my player of the year by a country mile on the basis that he had such a time off. He's embraced the club and everything that goes with it.

"He's been a real ambassador, a real leader on and off the pitch."