var playerInfo={"7F6018B84729B122B8EE7594158DA382":"Wigan Athletic,Cardiff City[on loan],West Bromwich(WBA),Tranmere Rovers[on loan]","8084EC95B881D770":"Tranmere Rovers","1A770A41820EA8876555100F4F89BC57":"<P><SPAN lang=EN-US>AFTER spending 2005\/06 on loan at <\/SPAN><SPAN lang=EN-US>Cardiff<\/SPAN><SPAN lang=EN-US>, &#39;Koumi&#39; returned to The Hawthorns in August 2006, ending weeks of speculation about his Hawthorns future by signing a new three-year <\/SPAN><SPAN lang=EN-US>Albion<\/SPAN><SPAN lang=EN-US> deal.<\/SPAN><\/P><P><SPAN lang=EN-US>Koumas&#39; spell at <\/SPAN><SPAN lang=EN-US>Ninian <\/SPAN><SPAN lang=EN-US>Park<\/SPAN><SPAN lang=EN-US> had been a successful one, scoring 13 times in 44 starts and three substitute appearances.<\/SPAN><\/P><P><SPAN lang=EN-US>The Welsh international initially joined <\/SPAN><SPAN lang=EN-US>Albion<\/SPAN><SPAN lang=EN-US> in August 2002 for a then-club record fee of &#163;2.5million.<\/SPAN><\/P><P><SPAN lang=EN-US>Koumas had to be patient for his first-team chance during the club&#39;s first-ever Premiership campaign in 2002\/03.<\/SPAN><\/P><P><SPAN lang=EN-US>But, once he had improved his fitness levels, he established himself in the side after a man-of-the-match performance in the 1-0 win over <\/SPAN><SPAN lang=EN-US>Middlesbrough<\/SPAN><SPAN lang=EN-US> in November 2002.<\/SPAN><\/P><P><SPAN lang=EN-US>Capable of running at defences with the ball at his feet in the classic <\/SPAN><SPAN lang=EN-US>Albion<\/SPAN><SPAN lang=EN-US> tradition, Koumas quickly became a firm fans&#39; favourite, a position underlined when he carried off the Player-of-the-Season trophy at the end of his first campaign at the club. <\/SPAN><\/P><P><SPAN lang=EN-US>Sensational solo goals against Manchester United and <\/SPAN><SPAN lang=EN-US>Blackburn<\/SPAN><SPAN lang=EN-US> only added to his burgeoning reputation - which he enhanced further still during the club&#39;s 2003\/04 promotion success.<\/SPAN><\/P><P><SPAN lang=EN-US>Koumas scored ten goals from midfield - most of which were goal-of-the-season contenders - including a last-gasp winner at <\/SPAN><SPAN lang=EN-US>Sunderland<\/SPAN><SPAN lang=EN-US> in April 2004, which proved to be <\/SPAN><SPAN lang=EN-US>Albion<\/SPAN><SPAN lang=EN-US>&#39;s promotion-clinching goal.<\/SPAN><\/P><P><SPAN lang=EN-US>His twinkle-toe displays also earned him a deserved place in the Division One PFA XI that season. <\/SPAN><\/P><P><SPAN lang=EN-US>Koumas&#39; form was not lost on Mark Hughes, who handed him a regular starting role during <\/SPAN><SPAN lang=EN-US>Wales<\/SPAN><SPAN lang=EN-US>&#39; Euro 2004 qualifying bid, which ultimately ended in heartbreak for the Red Dragons.<\/SPAN><\/P><P><SPAN lang=EN-US>However, Koumas&#39; <\/SPAN><SPAN lang=EN-US>Albion<\/SPAN><SPAN lang=EN-US> fortunes dipped the following season.<\/SPAN><\/P><SPAN lang=EN-US>With the likes of Jonathan Greening and Zoltan Gera signed in the summer, and the January arrival of Kieran Richardson on loan, he was limited to just 13 appearances, including six as a substitute.<\/SPAN>","1BB8AF7BD3F66066":"178cm","816C8DE73A2D153866B49ADDE8EB04C4":"Wales","75B83B44A2FCDD1B4FF631FCD2E3CC16":"8","2F200EF80307E2A90BE724565D2038D0":"2010-8-4","F52748F924D1E675":"73kg","A494ABC507986833":"Jason Koumas","078F3C827B475FC4":"2823","7777CB48C34672EC8F83E174F0B7EFC7":"","90579B4DEA63C3E4":"Jason Koumas","147403B66C8CB5C7":"626","0E9052569923A91555E1DAF3C456F9CD":"","4EB8C1CDD4A86AD4B213AF7FAE87E4FE":"Wigan Athletic","3B9127F7BC829326":"1","3F6EEC72E60D52B53E2E6377341938DB":"1","86178E7285C328960D9569BD40C7D883":"1979-9-25","e_index":2};