Gareth McAuley wants Tony Pulis to stay on as West Brom boss
Defender Gareth McAuley has backed Tony Pulis to remain as Albion head coach despite reports surfacing that the Baggies chief is considering his future.
According to The Times, the Baggies boss is open to approaches from other clubs this summer after becoming frustrated with criticism from Albion supporters.
Pulis is under contract until the end of next season and is due to sit down with chairman John Williams at the end of summer to discuss a new deal.
Criticisms have resurfaced following a poor end to the season which saw the Baggies fail to win any of their last nine games for the second season running.
But the experienced McAuley, who signed a new one-year deal in March, has thrown his weight behind the former Stoke chief staying on at The Hawthorns.
"He's delivered what he was asked to deliver this season," McAuley told the Express & Star.
"We're in the Premier League again next season and I'm sure he'll be there and I'm sure he'll get the players to take us forward.
"I don't know about the rumours but I'd like to see him in pre-season there in Austria at the top of the hills grating us."
Albion still finished tenth in the Premier League and in an Express & Star end-of-season survey, 81 per cent of respondents said they were happy with the job Pulis had done this season.
Two-thirds of the 1,400 respondents wanted Pulis to be given another contract beyond the summer of 2018.
Albion's head coach returned from China this week after discussing the summer transfer strategy with owner Guochuan Lai.
McAuley, who turns 38 in December, added: "Football is always full of rumours but I hope he's there next season.
"For me he's very consistent in what he does and asks for from the players and what he looks for.
"He likes the group to be together and to work hard. He doesn't take any short-cuts in what we do, physically we'll be fit and be up for it as well as organised.
"All he asks for is that we give everything when we're out there."
Last season the Ulsterman, capped 70 times by his national side, became Albion's oldest-ever outfield player in the Premier League.
The 37-year-old featured 44 times for club and country in all competitions last season.
