Sami Hyypia's former assistant at Bayer Leverkusen has turned down an invitation to join him at Albion.

Jan Moritz Lichte, a highly qualified but quietly spoken German coach, cited family reasons for his decision.

The Argus revealed ten days ago that Lichte was likely to be a leading contender to assist Hyypia at the Amex.

Hyypia admitted it was a setback and added: “I would have wanted to bring him with me.

“We worked well together and I felt we could have given a lot to our next club.

“I am looking for a dependable assistant who I know. I want his mentality to complement our current coaching staff. We are not in a hurry, though."