According to Wales Online, former Cardiff City star Greg Halford has been training with Championship outfit West Bromwich Albion and the Baggies are set to offer him a short-term deal.
The 34-year-old defender last played for Cardiff City last season in the Championship, helping the Bluebirds secure promotion to the top flight but he is currently without a club after being released by the Wales-based outfit in the summer.
Halford, who has been capped by England on 4 occasions at the U21 level, is a seasoned campaigner at the Championship level, having played for clubs like Nottingham Forest, Portsmouth, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Colchester United, Sheffield United, Brighton and many more.
Standing at 6ft. 4 inches with a massive frame, Halford is known for his versatility to play in multiple positions across the pitch. He has been used as a right-back, centre-back, winger and also as a centre-forward over the course of his long and distinguished career in the Championship.
West Brom currently sit 5th in the Championship standings with 36 points from 21 games. The Baggies haven’t been short of goals this term, having scored 44 already but they have the poorest defensive record amongst the top-five sides in the league. Darren Moore’s side have conceded 30 goals so far, more than any of the teams which are above them in the standings.
Lack of solidity at the back has been one of the causes of concern for the Baggies this season. The centre-back trio of Craig Dawson, Kyle Bartley and Ahmed Hegazy hasn’t been outrightly poor but has been too error-prone to rely upon, letting the team down with occasional lapses in concentration.
As things stand, West Brom need more depth in their squad, particularly at the back, to challenge their rivals for promotion to the Premier League next season. And a utility player like Greg Halford can bring in a lot of experience and flexibility to the eleven.
Given that West Brom have played a back-three formation for the majority of the season so far, the Baggies need adequate cover for the right and left wing-back positions as they face the risk of a potential burn-out later in the season when the injuries begin to creep in.
Halford’s physicality and aerial presence combined with his ability to play in defence and attack can definitely prove to be valuable assets to a promotion-cashing side.
That said, Darren Moore should consider offering the former Cardiff man a short-term deal to enhance their chances of securing promotion.