I'm with you. He played against us for Birmingham, Millwall, Bristol City & Leicester. I didn't feel that we were missing anything although he has now got the experience.
I was at the Fans Forum in 2011 when Poyet was asked about him, and he said he wasn't given a chance. Maybe West Brom didn't want to loan him out straightaway, then changed their minds and let him go to Millwall?
Who knows?