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.

The 22-year-old ace 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 was the joint 29-goal top goalscorer in all four English divisions with Bristol Rovers' Rickie Lambert last 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.

Cox boasts 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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(UPDATED JULY 15, 2009)