Daryl Dike opens up on 'frustrating' West Brom training schedule as striker eyes big pre-season

The US international, signed for £7m back in 2022, has suffered a number of big injuries since his arrival with the latest coming in the form of another ruptured Achilles last season.

He has battled back to fitness and in recent months has returned to the fold with a number of cameo appearances from the bench.

Those cameos have been getting slightly longer, with now axed boss Tony Mowbray explaining that Dike has not been training fully with the West Brom squad under the medical advice from the club's backroom team.

In his final press conference, when asked again about Dike's game time and not being handed a start since his return, Mowbray insisted Dike's fitness was not at the level to be starting games at the moment.

He added that he needed to see what Dike could do over a full pre-season campaign, something he will now not be around for after his sacking on Monday evening.

The forward has himself has openly admitted his frustration at not being able to training '24/7', in his latest comeback and in recent years due to his continual set backs.

However, speaking prior to Albion's 3-1 defeat to Derby County on Easter Monday, the forward outlined that he has to do the things he is told to do, in order to allow him to at the very last feature in the matchday squad.

He said: "Once upon a time, I was the person who'd want to be training 24/7 and I still am, playing every single minute of game, but unfortunately, the past few seasons I haven't been able to do that.

"So, with me coming back into the fold of things I have to do what I can to allow me to feature on game days, even though it can be frustrating.

"But at the end of the day the most important thing for me is to play football matches and still improve.

"I am still improving, working with the coaches on everything I can but if you told me seven months ago I could be involved in games again, I'd have snapped your hand off.

"Sometimes, it can be a bit draining but then I also know when I am speaking with people, I know they ask about me because they care.

"You can't ignore what has happened and in my brain, that's how I see it and even though it reminds of my, quote, 'problem', I know people care and if they didn't then they would not ask.

"Everyone wants to be cared about and lucky for me when I'm in and around the training ground, or walking through town, before and after matches, I always feel that care and it really helps me mentally."

Mowbray insisted he needed to look at Dike complete a full pre-season to see what he can do. Since his arrival at the club, Dike has only been fit during pre-season on one occasion.

That was his first season, when he was still making his comeback from his first injury at the club. 

The following summer, he was recovering from his first ruptured Achilles picked up against Stoke, and then again last summer he was out of action, battling back from the same injury he picked up at Ipswich Town.

But with the striker now having a run of cameos at the end of this season, he has eyes on the summer and making an impact beyond that.

"It is about being positive and getting together to achieve what we want," said Dike.

"Getting back to feeling great, going through a full pre-season and training in the summer. 

"The dream is to be scoring goals again, so next season is my target to deliver that."