The centre-back enjoyed a stellar debut campaign at The Hawthorns where he ended his first season in English football having claimed the two top player of the season awards voted by his peers and supporters.
Heggem, 26, checked in on a three-year contract from Sweden outfit IF Brommapojkarna last summer for a fee of around £525,000. The purchase has proven a bargain as the left-footed defender started all but one Championship fixtures and was by some distance his side’s most consistent performer.
Heggem told the Express & Star he is feeling settled and enjoying his time at Albion having clocked up almost 50 appearances in his first season.
“I’m enjoying playing here. I’m enjoying the fans. I’m enjoying the area. I don’t feel in a rush to play somewhere else.
“As I said, I’m just thinking about playing. Let’s see after the season. I wrote a long contract here, that was because I was hopefully staying here for a long period of time.”
The centre-back’s form for the Baggies also saw him become a full Norway international during the season with three call-ups which saw him play alongside Erling Haaland of Manchester City and Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard among others.
Heggem form has been one consistency in a season of up-and-down nature for the Baggies, who played under two permanent and two caretaker head coaches.
He started the season at left-back and impressed in the position for two months before the opportunity to move into his more familiar central role as Callum Styles seized the full-back opening.
From that point he flourished at the heart of Albion’s defence, mostly alongside Kyle Bartley. Heggem managed just the one Albion goal, in the home 2-2 draw against Sheffield United in December.
As the club’s standout performer, his performances are likely have attracted the attention of clubs higher up the pecking order. Albion’s ownership Bilkul, for whom Heggem was a second signing of their stewardship, see the signing as a perfect example of potential targets.
Heggem said of landing two awards: “I feel like the support I got from the supporters from the start has been something special. I feel I was getting the support through the whole year.
“I’m really grateful for the support I’ve got from the fans. So that was just the last (touch) – when I got the award from the supporters.”
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