Earnshaw 'did not want to fight for place' says Robson

The West Bromwich manager, Bryan Robson, revealed that he allowed Robert Earnshaw to leave the club for Norwich after he refused to withdraw his transfer request.

Robson had hoped the Welsh international would buckle down and fight for a first-team place in the second half of the season.

But last season's leading scorer made it clear his future was away from The Hawthorns and Albion agreed to sell the player to Norwich in a £3.5m deal on transfer deadline day.

Robson said: "I had a word with Rob on Monday and asked him if he would withdraw his transfer request, but he said he wouldn't do that.

"I wanted him to fight for his place. But what I don't want at my football club is players who don't want to be here."

Robson insisted Earnshaw had not shown enough form to warrant a place in the starting line-up during the current campaign.

"Rob scored one Premiership goal this season and that was after coming off the bench against Everton. I needed to see more consistency in his performances for him to get in the team regularly and I didn't see that," Robson said.

"You have to earn your place in the team and I didn't think Rob did that for us this season.

"He wants to play regular first-team football because he wants to impress his international manager [Wales coach John Toshack]. I couldn't guarantee him first-team football every week."

Earnshaw scored 14 goals last season after his £3.5m move from Cardiff, but this season Kanu and Nathan Ellington have often been Robson's first-choice forward pairing.