Former striker Shane Long reveals bizarre West Brom transfer window story

But former Baggies striker and an ex-team mate of the Nigerian international has revealed how he almost fell into the same trap just a few months later.

Shane Long, a one time Albion record signing, after arriving at the club in 2011 for £5m, went on to bag 22 goals in 87 games for Albion.

His most memorable campaign came in 2012/13 - when he scored 11 times and helped guide Albion to a record eighth placed Premier League finish.

But speaking on the Fozcast, the podcast presented by former Albion keeper Ben Foster, the Republic of Ireland international has revealed a strange story regarding how he nearly exited Albion just months later.

In the summer of 2013, Long was told he was going to be joining Hull City after Albion have made a move to sign Sunderland's Stephane Sessegnon, who himself then became the club's record signing.

Long, who had been a favourite at Albion, got as far as arriving at Hull in the back of a car before the deal, which hadn't been run past manager Steve Clarke, fell apart.

"I nearly had a Peter Odemwingie up there," joked Long.

"West Brom signed Sessegnon from Sunderland and Hull wanted him as well. So for West Brom to get him, they said I could go to Hull.

"I found out and I was like, okay, if I'm not wanted here I want to go to Hull and play.

"I went up there to do the medical, meet everyone, agree everything.

"I actually drove into the training ground lying on the floor, because the Odemwingie thing happened six months before and I didn't want to be that guy.

"I hid but I thought that everything was going through.

"Then West Brom weren't answering the phone at 10pm. Then I got a call from the gaffer who said, 'Longy what are you doing'.

"I told him what had happened and he said you're not going anywhere. He didn't know anything about it.

"Hull were raging, because they had no time to get anyone else.

"I hid on the way out as I didn't want to be seen, and got back down and the gaffer apologised, saying he didn't know anything about it.

"Since then, I thought I don't want to be at the club. I wanted to do well because I am competitive, but the first chance I got to go I went, and signed for Hull."

Long moved to January in 2014, with West Brom now fighting for survival following the sacking of Clarke and appointment of Pepe Mel.

The striker would go on to net for the Tigers in a 2-0 win over Albion later on in the campaign - with both sides scrapping for survival.

Foster has also revealed that the decision to sell Long, along with the striker netting in the victory, caused anger in the Albion camp and prompted him to have showdown with chief executive Mark Jenkins.

"We were fuming," Foster explained.

"We are struggling, we have sold one of our best players to Hull and he was the difference in the game.

"The lads were seething on the coach, and then on Monday at the training ground I've got in to see the chief executive because he has heard the lads aren't happy.

"We just had a massive barney, along the lines of, you've sold one of our best players who would have helped us get out of this, and that is the reason we lost.

"He came back with some stuff, but it was a big old argument."