A touch of the exotic in Sandwell: a Slovenian playmaker who shrugged off a serious eye injury to light up the Hawthorns
If you're a creative midfielder from Slovenia, there can be few bigger compliments than to be compared to that country's legendary playmaker Zlatko Zlahovic.
That's what has happened to the exciting talent Koren, who signed for the Baggies in January 2007 from Norwegian outfit Lillestrom on a free transfer, following a tip-off from their coach, the former West Brom and Manchester City striker Uwe Rosler.
In the summer of 2007, ‘Rokko’ suffered an eye injury which he feared would cost him his sight. However, he made a full recovery and went on to play a key role in the Championship title-winning campaign. Described by his manager Tony Mowbray as “a model pro” - no bad starting point for any player - he is a regular for the Slovenia national side.