Liam Rosenior is putting a lot of puff into Albion's promotion push - by coping with asthma.

Rosenior has spent his whole career dealing with the respiratory condition.

He uses an inhaler on the side of the pitch moments before every match, to the dismay of his family.

Rosenior revealed to The Argus: "I was born with asthma. It's not anything serious but some games it affects me more than others.

"I just take a puff before the game. My family tell me not to do it, because it looks so Sunday League, amateurish. But I need my puff of Ventolin."

May 3, in-between Albion's big end to the season against Derby and Middlesbrough, is World Asthma Day.

There are more than five million sufferers in the UK. Rosenior, who has made over 400 appearances for seven clubs, many of them in the Premier League, has proved a shortage of breath does not curtail your dreams.

He said: "I think a lot of footballers have had asthma. Paul Scholes is one. I'm nowhere near his level. When you are a kid, people will come up with things, say you can't be a professional footballer because of your asthma.

"Some people have it worse than others, terribly bad, but I want to show kids you can overcome anything if you put work into it. You can achieve things which other people tell you you can't."

Rosenior has been a versatile and influential figure since arriving from promotion rivals Hull on a free transfer in the summer.

It is no coincidence that Albion's form dipped when a knee injury sidelined the energetic 31-year-old from the end of November to mid-February.

Fans can feel confident of a result against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground tonight with Rosenior in the line-up.

He has an incredible sequence as a member of the starting X1 in the Championship, whether it is on the right side of midfield where he started the season or at left-back where he is currently operating again, keeping out the fit-again Gaetan Bong.

Albion's league record with Rosenior in the side from the first whistle is played 21, won 11, drawn ten, lost none.

He achieved automatic promotion from the Championship with Hull in 2012-13, when they finished runners-up to Cardiff.

Albion need a stronger finish in their remaining six matches than Hull produced then to end up above Burnley, Middlesbrough or both.

Hull won none of their last four but victories in the previous two gave them enough in hand to be two points clear of Watford.

Rosenior has learnt from that. He said: "In that period at Hull I don't thing we went to make it happen, we were just waiting for things to happen.

"Luckily for us, in the end it did, which was a fantastic experience.

"But looking back and something I have taken from it is if you want to achieve something you've got to go and grab it, not hope another team loses or we might nick a win 1-0.

"We've got to play as well as we can, stand up and enjoy the challenge of doing something everybody would have dreamt about at the start of the season."

Rosenior believes Hull's recent indifferent run of form, which has knocked their own automatic promotion hopes, emphasises how tough the Championship is.

He said: "They've got international players, spent a lot of money last year on players in the Premier League. It just goes to show the talent there is in this league. It's a very tough league to play in.

"I maintain it's harder in the Championship than in the Premier League. The amount of games you play and the intensity of them, it's actually harder.

"Maybe a few of those players haven't experienced a full season in the Championship before. It's a very difficult league to keep those levels high."

Just as well then that Albion have a manager with a remarkable record in the division. Chris Hughton is heading for a third top six finish with three different clubs in his only full seasons in the second tier, having steered Newcastle to the title and last Tuesday's victims Birmingham to the play-offs.

Hughton was calmness personified when MK Dons missed a late penalty last month, which would have denied the Seagulls their sixth of seven away victories.

Rosenior said: "It's the same every day. He's consistent in his message, consistent in his coaching, consistent as a person.

"What sums him up is we have a stewardess in the tunnel. She fainted at half-time against Reading when we were walking in.

"We all panicked. We didn't know that the gaffer, without telling anyone, had got her telephone number and called her the next day to make sure she was okay.

"That's the type of man he is and that's the type of man I've always wanted to work for. For someone to maintain their humility in an industry like this, trust me there are not many people like him in the game.

"I want to manage and coach and I see him as a perfect role model. I want to be like him."