West Brom director of medical on Daryl Dike's "robustness" and living the emotional journey

But something else significant happened that day - Daryl Dike's latest return to training following injury.

More than 10 months had passed since the popular American striker was carted off in tears at Ipswich's Portman Road having ruptured his Achilles tendon in the opposite leg to the tear he endured in 2023. Dike had been on the field for 10 minutes in Suffolk.

It was tough to witness for all involved and overshadowed the 2-2 draw that day - and would have done so even if Corberan's side had held on at 2-1 in the closing stages.

It meant yet another summer of rehab but fast-forward to December 24 and it was a milestone for the Baggies frontman.

A return to action came almost two months later, one year and five days since Ipswich, at Millwall's Den. It was a heart-warming sight and the clear highlight of a poor game in the early reaches of Tony Mowbray's brief reign.

Albion's pre-season tour coverage is in association with BHP Design

That was mid-February but Dike had to come through another nine cameos from the bench and wait for the final day of the season, on May 3, before a memorable starting return with a goal in the chaotic 5-3 win over Luton in May.

The period in between saw the club's physical staff, including sports scientists, working on the striker's robustness in training. The appearances from the bench helped. Dike had, and still has, his own training schedule to manage his load due to the wave of long-term injuries on his CV.

Those staff, overseen by the club's director of medical Tony Strudwick, were crucial confidants for Dike, whose three-and-a-half years at The Hawthorns had been marred by injury.

Dike was persistent, not just with his own work but with head coach Mowbray, who had been appointed in January. He regularly knocked on the boss' office door and insisted he was ready to start in matches. At times his patience was stretched.

Mowbray, liaising with Strudwick and other physical staff, had to be wary of Dike's enthusiasm and the US international was left frustrated at times. By the end of his short reign in April, just before he was dismissed, Mowbray spoke at length about how Dike was not able to start games or play much more than 30 minutes.

Strudwick, speaking to the Express & Star in last week's training camp in Burgenland, Austria, talked through the process of his return.

"Daryl understands that we've always got his best interests at heart," said Strudwick, who worked at Manchester United for 11 years until 2018 and was a key lieutenant to Sir Alex Ferguson until the legendary manager's exit.

"We want to keep him live and on the grass as long as possible. Daryl returned to training on Christmas Eve. We felt we'd built some robustness between Christmas Eve and the end of the season.

"That was a real positive. Daryl being Daryl he wants to impress and push and so on and so forth.

"With Daryl it's a constant narrative. But the good thing is there's a level of trust between the fitness and medical departments, the sports scientists and Daryl and vice versa.

"Ultimately we're the ones who will prevent him to do certain things to allow him to do what he wants to do, which is play football and perform for West Bromwich Albion.

"At the moment he's thriving and doing really, really well. He even managed a couple of smiles this last week! He's in a good space."

It is a first pre-season Dike has entered injury-free since he joined the club in January 2022 under his ex-Barnsley manager Valerien Ismael. And Strudwick, appointed at The Hawthorns later in 2022 under Steve Bruce, added: "It's a nice opportunity for Daryl to build on foundations he set at the end of last season."

Dike has so far started both Albion's pre-season friendlies under new head coach Ryan Mason. He did so in the 2-0 win against League One new-boys Port Vale at the club's training base in Walsall and did likewise in Friday's 1-1 draw against Dynamo Kyiv in Bad Tatzmannsdorf.

The experienced Strudwick, who has also worked for the England and Wales national teams as well as a brief spell at Arsenal, admitted each member of his medical department feel a deep emotion for the journey all players take - particularly those like Dike who endure struggle.

"I've been here three years now and with any player there is an emotional attachment of time and effort, ups and downs and so on," said the Baggies performance guru.

"So we feel that - and my staff do as well. We spend a lot of time talking about players, particularly players who have injuries.

"There's a lot of emotional investment with all of our players. We've been on a journey with Daryl, the club and fans have, his team-mates and the medical department have.

"For him to be on the pitch on the last day of the season against Luton - we share that (joy). We know what it means to him, how much he wants to be successful for this club. That's never changed since Daryl came through the door three-and-a-half years ago.

"There's an emotion if we get him on the pitch and he does well."

For Dike, having turned 25 in June and entered the final year of his contract, it has a feeling of now or never when it comes to the Baggies. In three-and-a-half years he has made just 43 appearances having cost £7million from Orlando City. He has proven, though, he knows where the net is.

Some claim, rather unfairly but pointing to his record, Dike will never be robust enough to enjoy an injury-free run.

Asked his opinion on the striker changing the narrative, Strudwick replied: "Yeah, absolutely. We always retain a positive picture whatever stage of the career they are at.

"Daryl's had a complex injury history, we can't hide from that. Whenever we move to the next chapter we do something different. That is why we get up and come to work every day."