CHRIS Brunt penned a new three-year contract, plus a further year's option in the club's favour in August 2011.

The skipper's new-and-improved deal was reward for his outstanding form last term and it was the second time he was offered a one-year contract extension in only 13 months.

He missed only four top-flight games last season and scored four crucial goals as Albion achieved their best-ever Barclays Premier League finish of 11th.

He headed an equaliser in last September's 1-1 draw with Tottenham and fired a goal-of-the-season contender in November's 4-1 drubbing of Everton.

But by far his most memorable contribution to the 2010/11 campaign came in April when he showed nerves of steel to emphatically convert two penalties as Albion came from behind to seal their first win over Liverpool in 30 years.

He joined Albion in a £3million deal from Sheffield Wednesday in August 2007.

The Northern Ireland international's price includes £500,000 of performance-related add-ons.

Brunt established himself as a senior figure in Albion's team in the 2009/10 campaign and for the second successive term finished as top league scorer - joint with Graham Dorrans on 13.

He once again showed the happy knack of netting when it matters most as he followed up his last-gasp equaliser at Watford in April by scoring in the promotion-clinching 3-2 victory at Doncaster five days later.

After finding it difficult to hold down a regular first-team place during the opening half of his first-ever Premier League season he established himself in the second half of the 2008/09 campaign.

A switch to the right-wing brought with it a flurry of goals as he netted five times in as many games towards the end of the season to finish as the Baggies' eight-goal top scorer.

Brunt bagged the ultimate honour when he was named Albion's official Player-of-the-Year, as voted by the management staff and his team-mates - beating off competition from Scotland international James Morrison and Slovenia skipper Robert Koren, who finished as runners-up.

He also blossomed on the international scene and fired his first-ever Northern Ireland goal in their 3-0 World Cup qualifying away win over San Marino. 

Although in and out of the side during his first season (2007/08) at The Hawthorns his assists proved invaluable in helping the Baggies smash 109 goals throughout the campaign.

His point-saving strike as a substitute in the penultimate league game against Southampton effectively sealed Albion's automatic promotion to the Premier League.

And he put the icing on the cake with a cracking second goal in the final-day 2-0 win at QPR to secure the Championship crown, just days after celebrating the birth of his first child, Charlie.

Brunt began his career as a trainee at Middlesbrough before joining the Owls in April 2004 following a successful month-long loan spell.

During 2006/07, the Belfast-born ace recorded his biggest goal tally for a season by netting ten times in 44 Championship games, including two as a substitute, to help Brian Laws' men finish ninth.

He has forged a reputation for scoring spectacular goals and even notched from close to the halfway line with an audacious lob for the Owls at Leeds.

In total, Brunt made 153 appearances, including 30 as a sub, for Wednesday, scoring 24 times.

The 6ft1in midfield dynamo also had ten international caps to his name before joining the Baggies.

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(LAST UPDATED AUGUST 26, 2011)