Slaven Bilic was ‘hugely disappointed' to be sacked on Wednesday by West Brom, a matter of hours after an impressive 1-1 draw away to Manchester City.
The Croatian has been replaced by former England manager Sam Allardyce.
In a statement exclusively to Sportsmail, Bilic said: ‘I am hugely disappointed to have left West Bromwich Albion.
‘I am honoured to have managed this unique football club with full commitment and integrity. I would like to place on record my sincere thanks to all the players, my hard-working coaching team and our dedicated staff.
‘I am incredibly proud that we secured automatic promotion from the Championship in our first season.
‘It was a real shame to not have our loyal supporters there with us during that moment and upon our return to the Premier League.
‘In what has been a really difficult year for so many, those special fans have stood alongside us throughout it all. My staff and I are grateful for having had the privilege to serve them.
‘They would have enjoyed some of our excellent performances where the team showed how much they wanted us to succeed.
‘Ultimately, I am sad that it hasn’t worked out in the way we wanted. But I leave with my head held high, along with some wonderful memories that I will always cherish.
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‘I’m sorry that I cannot say goodbye to you all properly at The Hawthorns. I genuinely wish the club well for the future.'
This article was most recently revised and updated 4 years ago
