Gary Megson: West Bromwich Albion assistant boss ready to 'caddie' for Tony Pulis

Gary Megson (right) has known Tony Pulis since the pair were teenagers

Gary Megson says his new role as assistant to West Bromwich Albion manager Tony Pulis will be like being a golfer's caddie.

Former Baggies boss Megson, 58, has not been involved in management since being sacked by Sheffield Wednesday in 2012.

But he has taken up the offer to work alongside Pulis, 59, who he has known since the pair trained together at Bristol Rovers as teenagers.

"I'm here because of Tony and hopefully for Tony," Megson told BBC WM.

"I see my role as like a caddie for a golfer. If I am asked I will give my opinion, but Tony makes all of the decisions. He will pick the team and the way we play.

"Do I need a six or a seven iron here? The caddie might say something but ultimately the player decides what he wants to do and the caddie has to back it. That's how I see my role."

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"We have got very similar ideals. I am not saying we play and see everything the same, but we believe in fitness, organisation and honest players, and trying to get the best of the players we have got."

Megson has returned to the Hawthorns 13 years after the end of a four-year stint as manager that saw him take the club into the Premier League for the first time.

Spells with Nottingham Forest, Leicester, Bolton and Wednesday followed but he said it was only the lure of working with Pulis that drew him back to Albion.

"When Tony rang it wasn't a case of dropping everything - it needed a bit of thinking about," Megson added.

"I would have done it at some of the really huge clubs in the Premier League but I wouldn't have done it for a similar sized football club with somebody that I didn't know."

Megson twice won promotion to the Premier League while West Bromwich Albion boss

The Baggies finished 10th in the top flight last season and Pulis is eager to make several new signings before the new campaign gets under way on Saturday at home to Bournemouth.

Apart from the top-five clubs, the rest of the Premier League "will be looking to stay up first and foremost", according to Megson.

"That will be the starting point and that's not being negative. That is what everybody is trying to do," he continued.

"Tony wants to move it on from 10th but we need players and better players than we have got at the moment - and we have got very good players so it's not easy.

"Tony knows the players he wants and I have seen the list. There are five of them, so if we can get them it will be exciting times."