James Shan wants to be a manager after enjoying his time in the West Brom hot-seat

The caretaker boss, who is searching for his fourth win in a row this weekend, has enjoyed his taste of the hot-seat.

The 40-year-old has always wanted to climb as high as possible in coaching, but the past four weeks have cemented his ambitions to be a head coach.

“I think always in the back of my mind, it was to go into management,” he said. “My career has been a steady progression.

“I came into coaching at the schoolboy phase, went to the under-18s, then the under-23s, and then into a first team coaching role.

“I'm quite a logical person, my next logical step was to be an assistant somewhere and learn off somebody with vast experience.

“Saying that, coming into the role at this club is maybe unique, because it is just focused on coaching.

“It's a head coach role and I've coached for 18 years, so I feel very confident and comfortable.

“I'm confident in game plan and prepping and having solutions at half-time if things aren't going well.

“That side of it has felt normal. What it has done, is accelerated my desire to become the lead one maybe a little bit sooner and quicker than I anticipated.”

Shan took over on a temporary basis after his long-term friend Darren Moore was sacked, and while he's not under consideration for the permanent job, he will remain in charge until the end of the season unless form nosedives.

“Obviously the circumstances how it came around are not nice, and being so close to the lads that departed makes it more difficult,” said Shan. “Being professional, in terms of the role and the job I have thoroughly enjoyed it.”

Although he’s currently operating under a strange game-by-game basis that could change at any point, he insists he’s comfortable because he knows no different.

“The whole experience is new and fresh for me,” he said. “I don't know anything different in this role.

“It's game by game, and the powers that be have been very supportive and complementary. They say just get on with it.

“I'm more than comfortable and happy with that. My best interests are in the football club and not so much for James Shan.”

The board have spoken to Shan about the possibility of bringing in two experienced coaches to help him see out the season.

But the caretaker is happy with his current staff and no appointments are expected to be made soon.

“It’s been mentioned and discussed,” said Shan. “I said from the get-go, in terms of the coaching staff and the team we’ve already got in the building, you can’t underestimate the quality they have.

“The big thing is a lack of experience at first-team level, but there’s a hell of a lot of experience of coaching and taking sessions. There’s probably 50 or 60 years between us. That’s a lot of experience.

“There’s been a discussion (about new staff) but no more than that. They’ve got my views and my feelings.

“As it stands it will be myself, (under-23s boss) Jamie Smith, (loans manager) Deon Burton and (academy manager) Mark Harrison. We'll continue with that skeleton staff.

“If the club want to go in that direction and bring in someone with more experience, then so be it.

“Let’s say it transpires that we’re in the play-offs, they could get someone who has done it before.

“I’ve said all along my best interests are in West Bromwich Albion and the race to get promoted.”