Roman Bednar is not happy. He is taking the Barclays Premier League by storm with the goals and the gall that have led West Bromwich Albion to within one point of Manchester United, his fiancée, Deniz, has just moved in and his self-belief is so high he can claim that “in some ways” he is better than Cristiano Ronaldo. But he is not satisfied and that is the reason he sees no limit to what he can achieve.

The Czech Republic striker has just finished a morning’s heavy training session – “Our fitness coach [Dan Harris] is real busy, so don’t write anything bad about him or else he’ll make us run even more,” he says – during the international break. Bednar thinks he should have played against Poland on Saturday (without him the Czechs lost 2-1) and against Slovenia on Wednesday. “I don’t understand this,” he says. “I’m playing Premier League. Petr Cech plays, Tomas Rosicky plays and I don’t. I’m scoring goals, last year I scored goals - not enough? Come on!”

The litany of subjects Bednar can complain about appears endless, but his deadpan delivery would become a stand-up. No wonder Tony Mowbray, the club manager, calls him Mr Grumpy. But even this brings a complaint. “I don’t think this is a good call,” Bednar, 25 and a muscular 6ft 3in, says. “I can’t be happy when I was sitting on the bench because I want to play football. Now he gives me a chance and – not just me, but the other guys – I think we do well.”

Fully fit after a hernia operation disrupted his preseason and cost him his starting place, Bednar has earned the right to play as the lone front man. He has started the past four matches, of which West Brom have won three, usually ahead of a five-man midfield who, at their bewitching best, keep the ball like Arsenal.

This must be great for him. “Sometimes it’s boring,” he says, laconically. “The boys play really good football and they can do it. But not all the time, boys, please. Sometimes it doesn’t look as if we’ll score. The striker is waiting for the chance. Sometimes the simple pass is the best pass; sometimes we should vary it and maybe play it forward more quickly.

“We play 25 passes and it’s nice to watch, but I say, ‘Give me a pass, I want to play, too.’ I want us to score; I want to score.” Is he the Black Country’s answer to Emmanuel Adebayor, then? “I’m better than him,” he says, before laughing. “OK, I’m joking.”

No one could accuse Bednar of having stage fright. Having earned €400 (£317) a month in his first professional deal six years ago with Mlada Boleslav, where he top-scored as the club won promotion to the top flight in the Czech Republic, he had the misfortune to play for Heart of Midlothian during the upheaval that followed Vladimir Romanov’s takeover of the club. George Burley departed with Hearts top of the Scottish Premier League and continued a succession of ill-fated and brief managerial appointments. “It was like darkness coming,” Bednar says. “When the captain [Steven Pressley] spoke for us, they sacked him.”

Simon Hunt, Burley’s assistant at Tynecastle before becoming the West Brom sporting and technical director, recommended Bednar to Mowbray and the striker, initially joining on loan, scored 17 goals last season as West Brom were promoted. A £2.3 million transfer followed. Now he can relish going to Old Trafford on Saturday, but not in awe. There will be no asking for a star’s shirt after the match. “I don’t do that,” he says. “I’m waiting for them to come and ask me for mine.

“I always want to be myself. I think I have something special that no one else has. I know Ronaldo is fast – he scores goals, has a great technique, everything – but I am still a different player and I can be in some ways better than him. When the supporters come to our stadium, I think they see something special in me.”

In addition to his three goals from six league appearances this season, Bednar struck a spectacular 30-yard effort against the bar in the victory over Fulham nine days ago. “I think it was actually 35 yards,” he says, his face straight but his eyes laughing. “I would never do that again. I don’t understand what I was doing. Maybe I was tired. So I feel confident, everything’s going well.” How high can Bednar go? “I have no limit on what I can achieve,” he says. So when United come knocking in a couple of years, he will be ready? “I hope so. Ask our supporters.”

His mother, Iveta, is his biggest fan. “She’s crying when it goes well,” he says. “And she understands football. She was here three months last season, watching every home game. My dad, Ivan, was here for the West Ham game. He was cold when I was younger – a good dad, but not showing his emotions. Now he’s older, I’m older and he talks with me more.

“He was always unhappy with my game. I would score 15 goals in a match as a junior and he would be unhappy. Like me, if I score a goal, but I misplace three passes, I’m unhappy. I’m never happy. I mean, I’m happy in my life, but as a footballer I’m a very heavy critic of myself.

“Dad saw my goal [against Fulham, a predator’s knock-in] and he said, ‘Why did you not kick it faster? The defender was coming.’ I suppose he’s made me the way I am. That’s why I’ll never be happy.” Happiness he leaves to those watching him play.