Reyes Cleary is ready for first-team football after match-winning display
West Brom supporters are eagerly waiting to see who Steve Bruce will select for his first game in charge against Sheffield United and maybe a new name could feature.
The problems in attack at The Hawthorns have been well covered in recent weeks but the Baggies have a potent talent waiting in the wings to get his chance.
Reyes Cleary made his debut for the club off the bench in the FA Cup third-round defeat to Brighton under Valerien Ismael but he hasn’t featured in a squad since that day.
The 17-year-old sensation certainly made his case for a chance at first-team level on Saturday (5 February) as he scored twice to give the Baggies Under-18s a 2-1 win over Norwich City.
Cleary is joint-third in the goal-scoring charts in the Premier League Under-18 league with 12 to his name 13 games.
He also has seven in 11 in the Under-23s setup and should be considered for selection by Bruce on Wednesday (9 February).
If he still can’t even work his way onto the bench this season, he needs to be sent out on loan to gain valuable experience in men’s football that he can’t get playing in the youth side.
He could head out on loan before the end of this season with non-league sides having no transfer window to work within but the Baggies have to decide if he is already too good for that level.
Sending him to the rough and tumble of the National League might do nothing but injure him and set him back in his development.
At The Hawthorns, however, there appears to be no reason why he shouldn’t have been given more chances than he has and if he keeps banging in the goals at this rate, he will give Bruce no choice but to select him.
In other West Brom news, Bruce has assured fans that the team will change under his management.