Brown Ideye has assured West Bromwich Albion that he will eventually prove to be worth his club-record fee.

The £10m striker has endured a trying first season in English football, scoring just once - in the League Cup - and has started only three Premier League outings.

However, the Nigeria international started Saturday's 1-0 win at home to Aston Villa, and the 26-year-old believes that his fortunes are slowly changing at The Hawthorns.

"I would say I have been working very hard," he told reporters. "The gaffer [Alan Irvine] said he wanted me to work hard and at times it has been difficult for me to adapt to the system the team plays.

"I have to adjust to what I have to do when the team is playing, but right now I think I'm there and I am just working hard now. I was always hungry to start for West Brom and I always give my best.

"Sometimes it's difficult but I have to keep on pushing and working hard for the team. I am getting closer to my best. I have had a lot of things to deal with so I just have to be focused and take it one game at a time."

Ideye joined West Brom from Dynamo Kiev in the summer, for a fee believed to be in the region of £10m.