Chaplow 'now Baggies star'

The midfielder has become a key cog in the Baggies' midfield since coming in from the cold to start in last month's FA Cup win over Leeds.

Chaplow's presence in the side has coincided with Albion's six-game winning streak and Mowbray reckons the 22-year-old has helped improve the balance of the team.

It's no secret Mowbray was on the lookout for fresh midfield blood in January, only to miss out on top targets Kevin Thomson and Scott Brown from Hibernian.

But Mowbray insists Chaplow's rise to prominence could help save the club a fortune in the transfer market.

"I think Richard's showing signs he can become the type of midfielder we've been looking for," said Mowbray.

"His natural game is to get forward, but over the last month and a half he shown a maturity to use and expend the energy he has in abundance in other ways.

"He's not a ferocious tackler, but he's got such good feet and he gets to people very, very quickly, closes down and nicks the ball off people.

"He's been one of the major reasons results have spun around.

"Since he's come in, his athleticism and his ability to get to the danger quickly has been very, very crucial.

"That is something I was talking about a few weeks ago regarding the balance of the team. Richard's just adapted his game a touch and found those qualities we were searching for.

"I'm delighted with him and he's possibly saved the club a lot of money because he has matured and shown that he can play that role."

Mowbray has challenged Chaplow to maintain the high standard he has set for himself.

"The reason why he is achieving things is because he is staying very focused and is doing the right things every day," he added.

"You hope he will understand why his performance levels have been so good and keep practising and maintaining the good habits he's been showing."