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West Brom's Chris Brunt is still 'terrific’ 11 seasons on

Chris Brunt has been hailed by boss Alan Pardew as a ‘terrific servant’ to Albion after the midfielder triggered a 12-month contract extension.

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Chris Brunt (AMA)

By starting the 2-1 defeat at Bournemouth on Saturday, the Northern Irishman fulfilled an appearance-based clause in his contract which was set to expire this summer.

The 33-year-old has already been with the Baggies for the best part of 11 years.

“He’s been a terrific servant for this football club,” said Pardew on Brunt, who has scored 45 goals in 367 appearances for Albion. “I only took him off (for youngster Sam Field in the 82nd minute on Saturday) to get a bit more energy on the pitch and see if we could retrieve the situation. I thought he was very good (on Saturday).”

Brunt has featured 22 times for the Baggies this campaign.

Next season will be his 12th at The Hawthorns following his £3.5million move from Sheffield Wednesday back in August 2007.

He recently stated his desire to reach 400 Albion games, but he would need to reach 450 in order to break into the top 10 all-time appearance-makers.

Brunt has seven assists this season, and has played in a variety of positions including left-back, left midfield, and central midfield.

He has taken a break from international football after being left heartbroken by Northern Ireland’s World Cup play-off defeat to Switzerland.

The playmaker also missed Euro 2016 with a knee injury, and is unsure whether to commit to another two-year qualification campaign. Team-mates Gareth McAuley and Jonny Evans are in the squad for their upcoming match with South Korea, though.

Meanwhile, Pardew has urged young midfielder Field to create more opportunities and get among the goals.

Field, 19, has impressed in a holding role in his young career and has one Premier League goal to his name this campaign.

On what is Field’s best position in the long term, Pardew said: “It’s definitely a central midfield role for him – it’s just a question of what he evolves into.

“It’s unusual for a young player to be a sitting midfielder at his age.

“To get forward and create opportunities and maybe run past the strikers and give us that kind of energy – I think that’s the kind of player he will be for the next three or four years, and a good player too.”