Nathan Jones has revealed he was “fuming” not to be made Albion boss.

But he has praised the patience Tony Bloom and Paul Barber showed with him – and lessons learned from Chris Hughton.

The current Luton manager believed he should have taken over after his brief caretaker stint in the wake of Sami Hyypia’s departure.

Jones guided Albion to a 2-2 draw at home to Reading, having trailed 2-0, and a win at Fulham after Hyypia resigned midway through the 2014-15 season.

Hughton then came in and saw Albion to safety in the Championship while laying plans for their eventual promotion to the Premier League.

Writing for Coaches Voice, Jones told of his anger at not getting the top job.

He also revealed how Albion’s hierarchy channelled that into a successful partnership with Hughton.

Jones wrote: “We went away to Fulham and looked like a well-drilled, organised, good footballing side.

“They were a good team, but we won 2-0 and never looked in any trouble. Substitutions at the right time, players who hadn’t featured much giving me everything – at the end of the game, in front of 3,000 travelling fans, I was very emotional.

“I knew then that I really could be a manager.

“I wanted the job, 100%. I believed I was ready, but after the game the questions I was asked by the media made me think something wasn’t right.

“I went home and my wife – she was my girlfriend at the time – couldn’t understand why I was so down after such an unbelievable win. ’I’m not going to get it,’ I said.

“I went in the next day and they told me that Chris Hughton was going to be made manager. I was fuming.

“But Paul and Tony sat me down and were incredibly patient with me. They let me vent, then simply said: ‘You have to get over this quickly’.

“I had to see it as just another step along the way, and get over my disappointment quickly.

“I went to speak to Chris, who told me how much faith the club had in me – he only brought one coach with him, when he had initially wanted to bring two – and it was really the best thing that could have happened to me.

“I worked with Chris for a year and enjoyed it greatly. I learned a lot from him, and he is still someone I go to for advice now.

“While I was there, the club knew they had somebody who would work incredibly hard for them.

“But they knew I was prepared to spread my wings, and they understood that there was always going to be an opportunity that, one day, I would want to take.”

The full article by Nathan Jones can be read here

Jones also talks about how he built a double promotion-winning team at Luton, his regrets over the manner of his departure and – albeit in less detail – his tough time at Stoke City.