Laurie Cunningham remembered: Albion legend honoured on what would have been his 60th birthday

The goalscoring winger was not only among the Baggies greatest ever players but also a pioneer who transformed football.

One of the first black players to play for England and, together with Brendon Batson and Cyrille Regis, a member of Albion's fabled Three Degrees, Cunningham helped break down barriers at a time when racism was rife within the game.

Regis today posted a picture of himself and Cunningham during their Albion playing

Signed from Leyton Orient in March 1977, his breathtaking talent also enabled the Baggies to become one of the most exciting teams in Europe during the late 1970s.

Memorable performances came in the iconic 5-3 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford during the 1978/79 season.

Another, in a 1-1 draw with Valencia in the UEFA Cup, caught the eye of Real Madrid's management and set in motion his eventual £950,000 move to the Spanish giants at the end of that campaign.

The first black player to wear an England shirt at senior level when he played for the under-21s against Scotland in April 1977, Cunningham won his first senior cap in the summer of 1979.

Yet despite helping Real claim the league and cup double during his first season in Spain, he went on to win only five more caps, at a time when his flair contrasted with the stodgy set-up of the England side.

After leaving Madrid in 1983, Cunningham had several loan spells, returning to England to help Wimbledon win the FA Cup in 1988.

His final season saw him help Rayo Vallecano to promotion from Spain's second tier before, on July 15 1989, he was tragically killed in a car crash near Madrid.