One-on-one work crucial for West Brom's Matty Phillips

His return is good news, because nobody has been involved in as many goals for the Baggies this season as the flying winger.

But Phillips admits he suffers from confidence problems, and part of the battle is keeping him mentally balanced after a long lay-off.

Tony Pulis relies on his coaching staff to do individual work with his players and in the past Phillips has praised the impact first-team coach Gerry Francis and assistant Ben Garner have had on him.

Francis first went to scout Phillips when he was at Queens Park Rangers, and the experienced campaigner is drawing on previous dealings with a former England striker when it comes to the 26-year-old.

“It’s about belief,” said Francis. “I’ve been in the game for 50 years now. I’ve had situations where players like Les Ferdinand couldn’t get into the QPR team and was sent out on loan.

“That’s the same England international we all know. I called him into my office and I remember telling him ‘I tried to sign you six months ago, I think you can play for England’. He started laughing.

“I said ‘what you laughing at? You have the raw materials, I can make you better but at the end of the day you have to make yourself better.’

“Some players need an arm around their shoulder showing them the way, some need the opposite, a kick up the backside.

“That’s the psychology of football. You have to try and get 20 players performing week in ,week out.

“It’s not easy and every individual wants to play.

“In Matty’s case, I’d seen him for Tony four or five times before we bought him. I came back two or three times saying ‘Yes, definitely, I’d take him’.

“In other games I came back thinking he wasn’t out there. I’ve spoken to him about this. It was that inconsistency in terms of his performance.

“But he had all the natural abilities, pace, strength, nice size, ability, two-footed. He just needed to have a little belief in himself that he was that good.

“He got one performance (against Leicester) where he played really well and scored a goal and then you tell him ‘I want that next week’.

“You don’t want a three out of 10, you want a six, seven, or eight every week. That’s what the top players have to do because they have to win every week.”

Phillips has certainly taken Francis’s words on board, and has scored five goals and laid on nine assists in all competitions.

He’s become one of the Premier League bargains of the season, and Francis says it’s because he’s willing to work hard on a one-on-one basis with the coaching staff.

“It’s all about improving,” he said. “The coaches, Kempy, Ben, and Mark (O’Connor) - we all take players away individually and work with them.

“I’ve worked with Jurgen Klinsmann, Teddy Sheringham, Darren Anderton, Les Ferdinand, it doesn’t matter who they are they can still get better and learn things.

“If you think you know everything, you’ll go backwards. I’m still learning every day, it’s something you’re experiencing.

“It’s important that not just collectively but individually you improve.”