While West Brom may not have had a perfect start to their Championship campaign with 17 games played, the Baggies are still very much in the mix to secure a promotion place by the end of the season, currently sat in third place in the league table with 32 points from nine wins, five draws and three defeats under their belt.

One player that has played a big part in West Brom's season so far is defender Conor Townsend, who has started all 17 of their league games and ultimately played more minutes than any other Baggies player, showing just how important he is for Valerien Ismael.

In addition to this, the 28-year-old has also highlighted his versatility on the pitch by playing as a centre-back, left-back and left-midfielder at times this season, which is a big sign as to why Ismael has picked him to start so many times.

Regarding his performances, from a defensive point of view, Townsend has racked up an average of 2.8 aerials won (47 in total), 1.8 tackles, 1.5 clearances and 1.4 interceptions per game in the Championship, proving himself as a vital part of West Brom's back line.

As well as his defensive contributions, Townsend has also proven himself to be a useful attacking outlet for the team, contributing an average of 1.5 key passes per match, with the Englishman securing two assists for the team which came during their 2-2 draw against AFC Bournemouth on the opening day of the season followed by their 1-1 draw against Millwall back in September.

Taking all of this into account, it's safe to say that Townsend, who has been described as a "confident" player on the ball by Baggies journalist Steve Madeley, has been a real hero for Ismael this season given his versatility, reliability and all-round ability up and down the pitch.

Moving forward, with Dara O'Shea still out injured for the next few months and the fact that Kean Bryan has now been ruled out for the remainder of the season through injury, Ismael will undoubtedly be hoping that Townsend will be able to keep fit for the rest of the campaign.

He'll need to keep delivering the sort of performances that he has been doing, as he could give the Baggies a great chance of securing a place back in the Premier League.

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