SIMON Cox became Roberto Di Matteo's first signing as Albion head coach after the striker joined from Swindon in a £1.9million deal in July 2009.

He penned a two-year contract, plus a further two years' option in the club's favour.

Swindon will receive a guaranteed £1.5m from the deal, with a further £400,000 due in performance-related add-ons.

Cox scooped Albion's Goal-of-the-Season award and the BBC's Match of the Day April Goal of the Month prize last term for his point-earning effort as a late substitute in the 2-2 draw at Tottenham.

His magical first-ever Barclays Premier League goal at White Hart Lane sparked a significant upturn in fortunes for the hitman as he figured prominently under Roy Hodgson and won his first caps for Ireland, who he qualifies for through his Galway-born grandmother.

He made a flying start to his international career by scoring twice in his first four games for the Republic.

Cox blasted 11 goals in just 23 starts and 11 substitute appearances in his first season with Albion - including ten league strikes in his first full season at Coca-Championship level.

A tireless worker he was utilised as an attacking midfielder during the second half of the campaign and scored vital goals in a 2-2 draw with QPR and 1-0 win at Plymouth.

He was the joint 29-goal top goalscorer in all four English divisions with Bristol Rovers' Rickie Lambert in the 2008/09 season.

He netted 32 times in total for the League One outfit last term, including three hat-tricks in games against Hartlepool, Scunthorpe and Northampton.

Cox was watched on several occasions by Albion staff and his goals almost single-handedly saved Town from the drop as they finished in 15th place - just four points above the relegation zone.

He rounded off the campaign with back-to-back braces against Bristol Rovers and Peterborough.

The Reading-born hitman joined his hometown club at the age of nine and progressed through the ranks to make his senior debut in the Royals' League Cup victory at Luton in September 2005.

He found first-team chances hard to come by at the Madejski Stadium and spent time on loan at Brentford and Northampton.

Following a subsequent successful loan spell at Swindon, where he fired eight goals in 19 games, he made a permanent beat-the-deadline move to the County Ground in January 2008.

Before joining Albion Cox boasted an impressive ratio of almost a goal every other game, having scored 50 times in 119 career appearances, including 15 as a substitute.

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(LAST UPDATED AUGUST 26, 2011)