ALBION paid Hearts £2.3million for Bednar, who signed a three-year contract in June 2008.

Hearts also received a £200,000 loan fee when the striker initially joined the Baggies for the season in a beat-the-deadline switch on August 31, 2007.

The final paperwork which confirmed him as Albion's 13th summer signing was faxed through just 15 minutes before the transfer window closed at midnight.

Bednar struggled to hold down a regular starting place last season but still managed to fire six goals in his first-ever Premier League campaign.

He fired last-gasp winning goals against Manchester City and Tottenham in successive home games in December to give the Baggies' ultimately-doomed survival challenge some real impetus.

His form in England's top-flight also saw him end his two-year international exile as he figured as a sub in the Czech Republic's World Cup qualifying win over San Marino in November.

And he earned a third cap coming off the bench before the season was over.

In 2007/08 Bednar rattled in 17 goals in just 22 starts to help Albion clinch the Championship title and reach the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time in 26 years.

And the Czech hitman's contract was improved during the close-season to include a further year's option in the club's favour.

Bednar's availability for first-team selection at The Hawthorns was initially hampered by a niggling calf injury suffered at Tynecastle.

He finally regained full fitness to make his Albion debut as a substitute in the 3-0 win at league leaders Watford in November 2007.

Bednar joined SPL outfit Hearts from Czech side Mlada Boleslav in July 2005 and scored 13 goals in 39 starts for the Jambos, including a double in a 2-1 victory over champions Celtic in the 2006/07 campaign.

Before joining the Baggies he was capped once by the Czech Republic, making his debut as a second-half sub in a 3-1 home defeat by Serbia in August 2006.

Bednar previously made eight appearances at Under-20 level before stepping up to the Under-21s, winning four caps and netting twice.

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(LAST UPDATED ON JULY 13, 2009)