West Brom boss Valerien Ismael committed to keeping young talent at the club
West Brom manager Valerien Ismael has made clear his intention of keeping the young talent at the club, rather than letting them depart before their time.
The Baggies have seen a few special talents slip through their fingers in recent years. Prolific winger Morgan Rogers joined Manchester City in 2019, promising defender Nathan Ferguson switched to Crystal Palace last year, while the likes of Louie Barry, Finn Azaz and Tim Iroegbunam have all made their way to Aston Villa’s set up after coming through at the Hawthorns.
Ismael, however, is set on putting an end to this pattern. The Frenchman handed 19-year-old Taylor Gardner-Hickman a Championship debut in the Baggies’ home win against Hull and has vowed to continue giving youngsters a chance in the first team.
“When I came here I said straight away it was important to implement a philosophy and give a chance to young players,” Ismael said (via Express & Star).
“We need to create an identity for the fans and to keep our young players here in the club. The first thing I heard when I came here is that the good players go away to Aston Villa and Crystal Palace and we need to stop this,” he continued.
“In pre-season, I recognised straight away that we had three or four players who could play with us. In the last three months, the under-23s have had exactly the same way of playing, the same principles, so when the players need to play with us they know straight away what they have to do.”
Pride in the club
A lot is often said about homegrown talent, but the simple fact of the matter is that seeing academy graduates perform for the first team envokes provide in the club. It promotes a certain identity that’s all the easier to get behind and feel happy about.
West Brom have produced some extremely promising youngsters in recent years and, while bigger and more appealing situations may arise, proper development and fair opportunities will always keep young players happy. And Ismael has already been repaid for his belief.
In Darnell Furlong’s absence, the Frenchman had no hesitation in handing Gardner-Hickman his second-tier debut against Hull. The teenager was one of his side’s standout performers at right wing-back, proving defensively solid while also showcasing a natural tendency to cause havoc in an influentially creative manner.
He’s just one in a promising group of U23 players at West Brom. The club’s reserve side are enjoying a brilliant campaign in the Premier League 2 Division 2, currently sitting second in the table with six wins from 10.
The young players at the club are clearly capable of developing into top players. With Ismael’s implementation of a club-wide style and philosophy as well as his penchant for giving youth a chance, they have every chance of succeeding at West Brom – rather than opting for a change of scenery.
In other West Brom news, David Prutton has given his predictions for the Baggies’ clash with Middlesbrough.