Baggies to tie down Dorrans

The Baggies are ready to improve the Scotland international's contract less than six months after effectively tying him down to a new four-year deal.

The 22-year-old's impressive rise to fame has seen him linked already with moves to Premier League clubs but the Baggies remain adamant he is not for sale in January.

However, they are now ready to secure their most valuable young star on a multi-million-pound long-term contract that is likely to run for a minimum of five years.

Dorrans cost the Baggies just £100,000 when he signed from Livingston less than two years ago but Albion have seen his value rocket in the last 12 months as he has become the key midfield figure, first under Tony Mowbray and now Roberto Di Matteo.

In the summer he signed a three-year deal with a year's option in the club's favour but the Baggies are already preparing to further reward his performances.

Dorrans was on target again in Saturday's 2-2 draw at Derby, bagging his third league goal of the season.

And today he urged his team-mates to draw a line under the roller-coaster Pride Park clash and focus on tomorrow's Hawthorns meeting with Cardiff.

"We've got to erase Saturday from our memory now," he said. "It's history, it's a point on the board but we've got to look ahead now.

"We're still confident and we're five unbeaten. It's a home game, so we'll be looking for three points.

"Cardiff will be a tough side. They'll be looking up the league and trying to get promoted and they've got a lot of tough players so it will be a tough game.

"But it's a home game for us and we want to win all our home games. If we want to be promoted then we need to make our ground a fortress make sure teams come to us and go away with nothing.

"I've got three league goals now and hopefully I can continue that. It says a lot that we've got goals coming from everywhere from the forwards to the defenders."