Julian Dicks says he’s taken a leaf out of Slav’s book since his time as an ultra-competitive full-back.
The 50-year-old former West Ham player joined up with the Baggies last week when Upton Park team-mate Slaven Bilić completed his backroom staff by appointing him First Team Coach.
And Dicks, who played alongside and then worked with the Croatian during his time with the Hammers, reveals it’s now his turn to make a brew.
“I’ve known Slav for a long, long time. We shared rooms together on the away trips, he used to make my coffee, but now I make them for him.
“We have a great relationship and we’ve stayed in touch,” he said.
“Tactically he is very astute and when we were at West Ham he was very calming. Sometimes I think if I’d have been manager I’d have come in and had a go at the players. Sometimes they need that, of course they do, but he was very calming.
“When he left West Ham I went to be the manager of Heybridge in the Bostik North and a lot of what Slav did at West Ham I took with me to Heybridge.
“Before, when I managed, if we got beat I’d hammer the players but I took a lot from Slav. Because if you get beat you don’t have to have a go at the players and I took a lot of that with me. I think the players I managed were very surprised. From that point of view he’s really good.”
He added: “He didn’t have to sell it to me, West Brom are a fantastic club with a great supporters. I came here with West Ham when Slav was the manager and the supporters were fantastic.”
Watch the full interview with Albion’s most recent recruit above.