Former West Brom boss Tony Mowbray tried to sign Baggies star Jed Wallace

Mowbray, Albion’s 2008 Championship title-winning chief, swapped Ewood Park for the Stadium of Light this summer at the end of his contract at the Lancashire Club, where he spent five years.

He remains a hero of Albion supporters for his winning and stylish football and Mowbray, 59, has helped inspire a good run of form in the north east, where Carlos Corberan’s men head to tonight.

And Mowbray has always been a big fan of one of Albion’s star men Wallace, the summer free signing recruit from Millwall – with other exciting attacking talents within Corberan’s ranks, Mowbray sees a dangerous opponent.

“Carlos is now in charge and I think the new manager is starting to put his identity on the club,” Mowbray said. “I have been watching them and they are on a good run.

“I think they have very good players. Jed Wallace is someone I tried to sign at Blackburn and ended up at West Brom.

“I think John Swift was probably the best attacking player when he was at Reading and they both went there on free transfers, so they have two high-quality footballers.

“You throw in your Dianganas and they have a really good squad. We are expecting a really tough game, a team with an identity.

“They are a very experienced football side with technical players and they will give us problems on the day, but I’m sure we’ll give them some problems as well.”

Key Sunderland goalscorer Ross Stewart could be fit enough for a place on the bench. World Cup duo Bailey Wright, an Australian centre-half, and Costa Rica attacker Jewison Bennette, are back from Qatar and available.