TONY Pulis has announced the appointment of a new Assistant Head Coach – and it’s a big ‘welcome back’ to former Albion boss Gary Megson.

The man who led the Club to their first ever promotion to the Premier League steps into the vacancy left by Dave Kemp’s decision to retire.

Megson returns 17 years after an appointment which would see him first rescue the Club from relegation to the third tier and then inspire a dramatic revival which took Albion to the Premier League.

But it is his long standing relationship with Pulis which has brought about the reunion.

“I’ve known Gary from my early days at Bristol Rovers when his dad Don gave me my debut and Gary would turn up to train as a 17-year-old,” said Pulis.

“He’s been out of things for a while but that’s what attracted me in many ways – he’s fresh, he will hit the ground running and he’s a person I know I can bounce things off.”

In his last posting, Megson had guided his home club Sheffield Wednesday to third in League One and two points off automatic promotion before a surprising departure in March 2012.

He said: “I’m really pleased. I’ve known Tony a long time and although we’ve never lived in each other’s pockets we have similar views on how football should be played and how footballers should behave.

“I loved my time here although it’s a long time ago now. You obviously have the club you grow up supporting which you always consider to be your club. But this is as close to that relationship as possible – and I can’t pay it a higher compliment then that. It’s a terrific club with terrific support.”