Championship

West Brom: Is Dara O’Shea criminally underpaid?

|
Image for West Brom: Is Dara O’Shea criminally underpaid?

Despite being one of West Bromwich Albion’s best players this season statistically, Dara O’Shea is one of the worst-paid players in the Baggies squad.

This season has undoubtedly been disappointing for the Hawthorns outfit, whose pre-season objectives included securing promotion straight back to the Premier League. They are currently 11th in the Championship table, seven points adrift of the play-off spots, and barring a miraculous change of fortune, will be playing in the second tier again next season.

1 of 10

To kick off this quiz on Matheus Pereira, from which Portuguese club did Albion sign the playmaker?

Had O’Shea been available for more of the campaign, West Brom may have been far closer to promotion. Based on first-team wages, though, the Ireland international is surely undervalued. As per Salary Sport, the 23-year-old takes home £4,400 a week, one of the lowest pay packets in the team.

Just how poorly paid is he in comparison to his contemporaries? We crunch the numbers to give you a better picture.

O’Shea deserves more

Unfortunately, the Midlands side have been deprived of O’Shea for much of the season. The defender has made just eight league appearances due to a troublesome ankle injury, only returning to the West Brom side once they had started their descent.

With him in the starting XI at the beginning of the term, West Brom looked a far better team. They won four out of the first five matches, drawing the other, and sat second when O’Shea was forced onto the sidelines. They drew their next three matches, and have not won more than two games in a row since. He is also West Brom’s best-rated player as per WhoScored this campaign by some distance, which only underlines his influence. 28 appearances in the Premier League last season also show he has long had the trust of his managers.

Does O'Shea deserve more money?

Yes

Yes

No

No

Some of those earning more than O’Shea can only be described as a considerable waste of money. Kenneth Zohore is better remunerated than any of his teammates, yet has played just three times this term and has managed a paltry five goals in 60 outings. Meanwhile, backup goalkeeper David Button earns almost three times as much as O’Shea and has played just 10 times since joining in the summer of 2020.

TIF Verdict…

With one year left on his contract at the end of the season, O’Shea is reaching a crucial point in his time at West Brom. Unsurprisingly, the club’s hierarchy have already made their move, entering extension negotiations with the academy graduate.

New manager Steve Bruce is a big fan, suggesting he could be a future captain. As such, O’Shea should perhaps be paid accordingly.

Share this article