Paul Forsyth: Gem hidden in the Hawthorns

NOT ONLY was Graham Dorrans able to get by without a spell in Scotland's Premier League, his decision to give it a miss has been the making of him. A quiet lad who isn't comfortable in the spotlight, his move to West Bromwich Albion two years ago enabled him to develop at his own pace, without the hype or the pressure that comes with playing in your own country.

Most of us still wouldn't know him if he turned up on the doorstep with an identity card round his neck, but that's our problem, not his.

He has done it his way, and it's worked out very nicely thank you. The player who swapped Livingston for West Brom in a 100,000 transfer is thought to be worth at least 50 times that now, with Manchester City, Aston Villa and Sunderland said to be among the interested clubs. Bids of up to 8m are reported to be in the offing for a midfielder whose remarkable season in the Championship has taken many of his countrymen by surprise.

Playing for Scotland at Hampden, which he hopes to do in Wednesday's friendly against the Czech Republic, will be a rare chance to show them what all the fuss has been about. "The press up the road isn't that big on the Championship," he says. "And when I played in Scotland, I was with a small club in the First Division. So it would be nice to go up there and show people what I can do, but that's not the most important thing. The main thing is getting to the European Championship finals."

For the Old Firm, Dorrans, 22, is one that got away. Rangers, the club he supported as a boy, made an inquiry just as he was moving to the Hawthorns, but they were too late. Alex Cleland, one of his coaches at Livingston, recalls an under-19 match at Barrowfield, when he scored twice against Celtic. "He absolutely tore them apart that day," says the former Rangers defender. "He was playing up front at that time, but he never seemed to score easy goals. They were always 25-yarders, on the angle, bent into the corner. He was such a natural talent, so comfortable on the ball. He did things in training that none of the others could do. We were thinking 'we've got a special player here'."

Tony Mowbray, then the West Brom manager, agreed. Although he bought Dorrans with the future in mind, the player excelled himself in a handful of Premier League matches, and has since come into his own a division below. Not only is he the most important footballer at West Brom, who are among the favourites for automatic promotion, he is a contender for Championship player of the year. Their manager, Robert Di Matteo, has built his team around the young Glaswegian, who is a combative, energetic presence in central midfield, with the freedom to get forward and score goals, 13 of which he had netted before yesterday's home match against Derby County. "Nobody wants to be relegated, but maybe it was good for me in the end," he says. "It gave me the chance to play week in, week out. I played a few games in the Premier League last year, and I felt I was comfortable enough there, but I always knew that this season would be the most important."

Ask the fans, and they will tell you that he has been nothing short of a revelation. There is a Facebook group called "keep your Xavi and Iniesta, we've got Dorrans". The West Brom winger, Jerome Thomas, has compared the Scot to Cesc Fabregas. If all that sounds a bit tongue in cheek, listen to Dean Kiely, their veteran goalkeeper. "Look, we've got an absolute gem here. Dozza will go on to set the world alight because he has a fantastic engine, a silky touch and he will put his foot in. He is the complete midfielder, a fantastic talent."

It is to be hoped, for West Brom's sake, that they win promotion. Dorrans needs to play in the Premier League, and if it isn't with them next season, it is likely to be with somebody else. "You hear things, but only when the chairman comes knocking on the door to tell me there's something concrete will I have anything to think about. Yes, I want to play in the Premier League, but hopefully I can do it with this club. They are the ones who gave me my chance, and they belong there. I want a shot at it with them."

The Old Firm can forget about him now. Cleland says that even if Dorrans wanted to play for Celtic or Rangers, they wouldn't be able to afford him. "He could go and play in any Rangers or Celtic team, no problem, but his career has taken a different route. He has gone under the radar a bit, and it's probably the best thing that could have happened. He doesn't like all the press, the interviews, the glamorous lifestyle."

Maybe the future of the Scottish national side isn't so bleak after all, especially in midfield. If Dorrans is given the same licence to attack that he enjoys with West Brom, perhaps Darren Fletcher will be allowed to do for his country what he does for his club. Add Scott Brown to the mix, and well, let's just say we have seen worse. "There are some good players in there, no doubt about it," says Dorrans. "We just need to gel and show in the Czech game what we are capable of going into these qualifiers. It will be a tough group, with Spain the favourites, but hopefully we can challenge the Czech Republic for the next spot. If we play to our capabilities, there is enough talent in that squad to take us to the finals."

Dorrans was part of the Scotland team that reached the final of the Under-19 European Championship in Poland four years ago. Another in that group was Robert Snodgrass, a pal of his at Livingston, now thriving with Leeds. Steven Fletcher, with Burnley these days, was also there alongside Hearts' Lee Wallace, and Dundee United's Garry Kenneth, who was called into the full squad last week.

Dorrans scored in the final four years ago but it wasn't enough to prevent a 2-1 defeat by Spain. His ambition is to be back in Poland with the full squad in 2012. "It was great for us to get to the final, but overall, the tournament wasn't a high for me because I didn't start many matches. Hopefully, if I have the chance to go back, I will get more game time."

So far, Dorrans has been capped twice, against Japan and Wales, a traumatic introduction, but it hasn't put him off. "I was in the squad for the Holland game, and although I never made the bench, just experiencing the atmosphere was fantastic. Knowing that if you get a result, it could take you to the finals ... those are the kind of games I want to be involved in."