Darren Moore: I would have used Cyrille Regis as my West Brom mentor

Albion's new head coach owes his whole footballing career to Regis, having been inspired to play - like so many other black footballers - by the great Baggies striker.

Years later, the inspiration became an opponent and then when Moore joined Albion as a player in 2001, he became a friend.

Both church-goers, both heavily weaved into the Albion fabric, Moore and Regis had much in common.

Four months after losing Cyrille at the age of 59, Moore finds himself sitting proudly at his managerial unveiling at The Hawthorns following a whirlwind few weeks.

But he wishes he still had his mentor beside him.

"I know if Cyrille was here, I’d be sharing the day to day runnings with him," revealed Moore.

“I was speaking to him right up until the night before (he died), up until 8pm and the next morning I learned of his passing.

“We had a conversation and he said ‘let’s speak in the morning’.

“We went right up to that point, I can share openly with you.

"In this role I have now, I’m almost sure he would’ve played some part.

"I’m really proud and I’m sure he’s looking down on us now and saying he’s very happy."

As a nine-year-old, Moore put down his cricket bat and strapped on his boots after watching the Three Degrees on television in their Albion shirts.

"The pitch was a stage, and there were 22 players on it who were being worshipped by the supporters - and I said to my dad ‘I want to do that’."

Regis, alongside Laurie Cunningham and Brendon Batson, broke down racial barriers for a generation of black footballers.

Moore's appointment as Albion head coach has lifted the number of BAME (black and ethnic minority) managers from the 92 clubs of the Premier League and Football League to just six.

The others are Chris Hughton at Brighton, Chris Powell at Southend, Nuno Espirito Santo at Wolves, Jos Luhukay at Sheffield Wednesday and Dino Maamria at Stevenage.

That is a pretty paltry percentage when you consider 30 per cent of professional footballers in England are BAME.

But Moore is reticent to attribute too much significance to it - and instead brings the conversation back onto the Baggies.

"I’ll probably leave it out there for you to look at," he said. "I’m in this role representing BAME coaches and young British coaches.

"But my sole focus is West Bromwich Albion.

"Being part of a wonderful team, fanbase and representation of the football club and the community as a whole."

And that connection with the Baggies, far more than the colour of his skin, is why Moore's appointment is the right one for a club who sold its soul to stay in the Premier League.

And it's why it could end up being a masterstroke.

"I could name the girls in the ticket office, the maintenance man down at the training ground or some of the people in the commercial department," he said.

"I could name, and she would probably be embarrassed, but (personal assistant) Jill (Pearson), who has been here since when I signed as a player (in 2001) until now.

"People who have been here and helped build the club up to what it is now are still here.

"And that's why me knowing that has helped me and will help me moving forward."

Just like Regis, Moore is Albion through and through, and just like Regis, he is a talismanic figure everyone associated with the club wants to get behind.