West Bromwich Albion head coach Alan Irvine believes that Georgios Samaras will become a vital player for the club when he reaches maximum fitness.

The 29-year-old has featured in four games for the Baggies following his free transfer from Celtic in the summer.

The Greece international, who played in his nation's 1-1 draw with Finland on Saturday, particularly impressed Irvine during the Baggies' 4-0 win over Burnley last month.

"There is real talent there, the little pass for the fourth goal against Burnley, that's the kind of thing we might see," Irvine told the club's official website. "Somebody who can play that really fine pass that opens the door, but also somebody who can score goals.

"One of the things Neil Lennon said was in the big games in particular for Celtic, he came alive. He played at his best in some of the biggest games, European games in the Champions League, he made a real contribution to Celtic having a good run in those games."

West Brom are currently 14th in the Premier League table.