West Brom fight to keep Michael Appleton away from Portsmouth

West Brom were today facing a fight to keep assistant boss Michael Appleton after Portsmouth made him their top choice to be their new manager.

South Coast sources claim Appleton has been interviewed for the Fratton Park hot-seat and impressed Pompey officials so much he has leapt to the top of their shortlist to succeed Steve Cotterill.

But West Brom will strive to keep the 35-year-old, who has been groomed as a coach for the last eight years and is seen by the hierarchy as a future Hawthorns boss.

The Baggies don't want to lose Appleton, who has risen through the club's coaching ranks since ending his playing career at the age of just 27 and is now head coach Roy Hodgson's right-hand man, after a spell as caretaker boss.

It's likely chairman Jeremy Peace and sporting director Dan Ashworth will do everything they can to persuade Appleton to stay with the club he joined from Preston a decade ago in a £750,000 deal.