West Brom manager Roy Hodgson has revealed that Town were far from the only Championship club to make a loan approach for Baggies striker Simon Cox on deadline day. Blues boss Paul Jewell had previously made a move for ex-Swindon man Cox earlier in the month.

Hodgson says it was Cox’s decision not to join Town: "Their manager Paul Jewell did express some interest a while ago and was told, like the other clubs, that Simon didn't want to go on loan.

"He always wanted to stay here and fight for his place and I am more than happy to have him here.

"A lot of clubs were interested in Simon - there was a considerable list. But he made it 100 per cent clear he didn't want to go on loan.”

The former Liverpool boss says he would have allowed the 23-year-old to go out for a spell but has no problem with him staying at the Hawthorns: "We didn't stop him from going - certainly not in this month of March when there are very few matches for us.

"I would have been ready to let him go on loan with the possibility of a recall in April. But he didn't want to go and there is no question of him going now.

"He is happy to be here, is working hard and I'm happy to have him. I didn't push him out but I did say to him, 'We don't have many games this month so if you want to get out and get some games, this would be the month to go'. But he said 'I don't want to go' - and that was the end of the discussion."

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