Dutch link helps West Brom's new defensive pairing

Mar 27 2009 by Robert Tanner, Birmingham Post

“I played with the same centre half in Holland for three years and we had the same relationship off the field. We hung out a lot and that helps.

“Having that contact off the field helps and I get on very well with Shelton. He is Dutch and I played there so when we are in the changing room we talk to each other, and we both live in Birmingham as well.

“He is a nice guy and that makes you want to support him more.”

Since signing from Hibernian for £50,000 in July 2007, Martis has made only a handful of appearances for Albion and has been out on loan to Doncaster Rovers and Scunthorpe United.

His contract is set to run out in the summer and he is hoping that his recent performances may convince the club to offer him a new deal.

“I have about two months left on my contract and after that I don’t know,” he said. “I’m not thinking about it. I just want to do my best. If it comes it comes.”

Martis confessed that he had been keen to go out on loan again to Doncaster, but injuries to Abdoulaye Meite and Leon Barnett forced Mowbray to block the move and Martis is now delighted that he did.

‘When Abou and Leon got injured on the Thursday, in my mind I was thinking ‘oh no, not this again’ because I’ve wanted to go on loan before and then something has happened and the manager hasn’t been able to let me go,” he said. “But in my mind it never occurred to me to go to him and say I wanted to go, because I’m not that type of player.

Albion defender Jared Hodgkiss yesterday joined Northampton Town on loan until the end of the season.

n Middlesbrough have been fined £6,000 by the Football Association after the club admitted a charge of “failing to control their players” during the Barclays Premier League match against Albion on January 17.

The FA brought the charge against the North-east club for the conduct of their players after referee Mark Halsey dismissed midfielder Didier Digard in the match, which Albion won 3-0.