Even my little boy trades me in the playground for better players, admits West Brom captain Jonathan Greening

Jonathan Greening insists no-one has a bigger incentive to turn around West Brom's plight as his son keeps being told daddy is "a loser".

With the Baggies still stuck at the foot of the Premier League, Troy Greening, four, is being teased in the playground about his father.

Troy has even swapped eight football cards of his midfielder dad for other more prestigious players like England aces Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard.

Skipper Greening, 30, admitted: "It is tough when you are bottom of the league most of the year and there is a lot of negativity about. I've got my little boy coming home from school and his friends are claiming I am a loser.

"I remember six weeks ago my little boy came home and said: 'Dad, why do all my friends call you a loser'?

"I just started laughing and said: 'Do you think I'm a loser' and he said: 'I don't think you are a loser' so that was a good answer.

"My lad has never got upset about what people say though - he is just a weirdo like his mum!

"He had all the little football cards at school and was swapping them - I think he had eight of me at one stage.

"I asked him where they had all gone recently and he said he had swapped them for better players - Gerrard, Lampard. There are none left of me."

Despite buying Troy a West Brom shirt with Greening's number on it, the Albion captain admits it is a struggle to get his son backing the Baggies, who visit Portsmouth today.

He added: "When we were on Sky the other week against West Ham he was supporting them so I had to tell him off the day after."

And Greening says last year as Albion stormed to the Championship title his son's favourite player was top scorer Kevin Phillips.

Greening said: "Last season both my son and daughter used to love 'Super Kev'.

"I was like nothing compared to 'Super Kev'. They would come into the players' lounge and run past me and run to 'Super Kev'!"

Greening's contract at The Hawthorns expires at the end of next season but he wants to stay even if Albion are relegated.

They are eight points adrift of safety but Greening has not given up hope after being a key member of the team who stayed up in 2004/2005 despite being bottom of the table at Christmas.

Albion pulled off their 'Great Escape' after beating Portsmouth at home on the final day and the visitors need a win today at Fratton Park.

Greening said: "We could go on and win all seven games.

"It is important for us to draw on the 'Great Escape' now - it was a good time. Staying up on the last game of the season was a brilliant feeling and it would be brilliant if we could do it again."

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