Mowbray hopes gamble will pay

West Brom manager Tony Mowbray's decision to quit Hibernian for the Hawthorns will be justified if he leads his side into the Barclays Premiership at Wembley today.

Mowbray's Albion face Derby in the championship play-off - a game reportedly worth around £60 million to the winners.

Mowbray had two successful years at Hibs but his decision to travel south of the border once more was a gamble that will pay off handsomely for the highly-rated coach if they can overcome Billy Davies' side.

Mowbray said: "I left a very forward thinking and positive club in Scotland to come to Albion. Hibs is wonderful club with lots of good players and we'd enjoyed two very good seasons.

"I left and came to Albion because I want to try to manage in the Premier League. Albion very much had the potential to do that, they had a lot good players, a wonderful infrastructure and a big fan base.

"The plan was to come here and try to help the club get back into the Premier League and stay there."

Mowbray has plenty of play-off experience including victory with Ipswich at Wembley in 2000 and he says it is important that everyone remains positive going into such an important game.

Mowbray added: "All players and managers want to be involved in the big games and feel that knot in their stomachs on the morning of a big match.

"You have got to try to enjoy it. It is over so quickly so you have to soak it up and try to enjoy it."

Derby boss Davies shrugged off comparisons of his management style with that of Sir Alex Ferguson as he looks to plot the next stage of a career that has already earmarked him for greater things.

Davies said: "The comparison is that we come from the same area in Glasgow - Govan. If I could follow in his footsteps it would be absolutely wonderful, but you try to be yourself."