Pulis insists he will not quit West Brom job

Sarah Winterburn

Tony Pulis is committed to honouring his contract at West Brom but concedes the club’s new owners will ultimately decide on his future.

There had been speculation that Pulis might leave the Hawthorns prior to Thursday’s announcement that a takeover by Chinese group Yunyi Guokai Sports Development Limited – led by Guochuan Lai – had been completed.

Following a disappointing transfer window, hints emerged of a rift between Pulis and Albion’s new chairman John Williams as both publicly expressed their opinions about the club’s transfer business.

Pulis insists that, contrary to reports he might quit, he would never walk away from the job – though he is the bookmakers’ favourite to leave.

Asked if he definitely wanted to remain as head coach, he said: ”Yeah, I won’t be leaving. If I leave, it will be the club’s decision for me to leave, it won’t be my decision.”

Often a change of ownership is followed by a change of manager, but Pulis remained defiant.

He said: ”I don’t see it that way. I see it that I’ve signed a contract and I’m going to see that contract through.

”The owners are in China. I’m not sure when they’re coming over, if they’re coming over or if they’re over here now. But if I get a chance to speak to them I will find out what they want to do and how they see the club going.

”I think it’s important that we work together and it will be interesting to see how they see the club going.”

Pulis, whose side host West Ham on Saturday, is into the final year of the two-and-a-half-year contract he signed on New Year’s Day 2015 but the Welshman is not worried about his own future or a new deal.

”Not at all. It doesn’t worry me at all,” he said.

”I have worked before with a contract running out and you just keep working and keep going.

”I am quite confident in my own ability and in myself and if we sit down and talk about a new contract we do, if we don’t, we don’t. It doesn’t change my view, my perspective or my attitude to doing my job.

”Every day I wake up I realise and understand how lucky I am to be in this game, irrespective of all the criticism you get or don’t get. I’m a very fortunate lad and every day I’m in it I’m lucky.”