Shane Duffy has backed Albion’s Premier League newcomers to benefit from their season of struggle.

Martin Montoya was the only one of the influx of overseas signings last summer to play in more than half of the Premier League matches under former boss Chris Hughton.

The Spanish right-back started 24 games, Brazilian left-back Bernardo 19 and Mali midfielder Yves Bissouma 17.

Iran winger and record signing Alireza Jahanbakhsh started 12 games, Romanian striker Florin Andone eight and Nigerian back-up central defender Leon Balogun five.

Duffy said: “There’s a lot of players here who were in their first Premier League season and hopefully going through a difficult period will help.

“We can take the sting out of those bad moments and help us improve as a team next season and not go get there again.

“The new players will have a year under their belt and more experience. If things get difficult they will know what to do.

“It was a bad run that no-one wanted but a lot has been learned. Hopefully we can kick on next season.”

Duffy is likely to be as much of a regular under new coach Graham Potter at the heart of the defence as he was for former boss Chris Hughton and is for the Republic of Ireland.

He has made 93 appearances in the past two seasons for club and country, a tally poised to increase with Euro qualifiers for Mick McCarthy’s Irish side away to Denmark on June 7 and at home to Gibraltar three days later.

Duffy will have less than a month’s break before reuniting with the Albion squad for their first pre-season under Potter, launched by a week-long training camp in Austria from July 7.

The Premier League line-up for 2019-20 is now complete after Aston Villa beat Derby County in the Championship play-off final.

Goals from Anwar El Ghazi and John McGinn secured a 2-1 win at Wembley.

Rams substitute Jack Marriott replied to set up a tense finish.