Baggies moved the goalposts!

REUBEN REID... hungry to resume his role as a goalscorer.

NEW Athletic striker Reuben Reid has opened up about his nightmare spell at West Bromwich Albion.

The pacy 22-year-old, who has joined Paul Dickov’s revolution on a permanent deal, hopes regular first-team football will return him to the kind of form that convinced the Baggies to spend £500,000 for his services two years ago.

His injury-time header in the 4-0 win over Hartlepool, which could earn him a starting place against Dagenham and Redbridge tomorrow, had special significance for Reid, who claims goals may have been more forthcoming at the Hawthorns had he not been played out of position.

“They tried to mould me into something I am not at West Brom,” said Reid.

“I am a striker. They bought me from Rotherham United where I played on the right of a three-man strike force and scored a lot of goals.

“But West Brom used me on the right wing, in a 4-4-2, which is a big difference.

“My dribbling style is powerful and direct, unlike wingers who weave in and out.

“In all my time at the club, they never once put me in my natural position up front, which was disappointing.”

Showdown talks with boss Roberto Di Matteo convinced Reid his future lay elsewhere.

He added: “I sat with the manager in his office and told him if I was not going to be part of his plans, I wanted to go out on loan.

“He asked me to stay and fight for my place, but when he made it clear that would be as a winger, I knew I had to leave.

“All I can think is that when they watched me at Rotherham they saw I had pace, and decided to turn me into a wide player, but that just isn’t me.

“I found myself back inside my own penalty box a lot of the time, rather than up front trying to score goals.

“It is a shame because it was a big move and I wanted to prove myself, and people find it hard to move on from their first impression of a player.”

Loan spells at Peterborough United and Walsall followed, with Reid netting six goals in 15 appearances for the Saddlers.

It was this stint at the Banks’s Stadium that caught the eye of Dickov, who swooped before the January transfer window closed.

“I am happy to be here because the style of play suits my game. We create a lot of chances,” said Reid.

“I am not match-fit yet because I missed some of November and all of December through injury, so I am still trying to get some sharpness back.

“There are a lot of good players here so I am going to battle for my place and the right to wear the shirt.

“We have a young and talented bunch of lads here. Coming in to work is a pleasure.”

Despite his fine header against Hartlepool, Reid does not expect to win too many aerial challenges this term.

“I am not a very good header of the ball,” he smiled. “I think that was only the second headed goal of my career, so I don’t anticipate many more! My pace and power are my biggest assets.”

While Reid is desperate to fire Athletic to promotion — possibly via a mouth-watering play-off final at Old Trafford — he is keeping the goals total he has in mind private for now.

“Like a lot of strikers, I have a personal target in mind for the end of the season. It is obviously double figures, but I won’t say how many.”