Steve Bruce delighted with Andy Carroll since his January arrival at West Brom
West Brom boss Steve Bruce has heaped praise on striker Andy Carroll, hinting there might be a stay past this summer for the ex-England international.
The Baggies boss has been delighted with the man he also signed for Newcastle since bringing him to the Hawthorns in January, with the 33-year-old managing to overcome worries over his fitness and net three goals in 13 Championship appearances.
Bruce praised the Geordie forward’s resilience and says he can cause problems for any defence he comes up against.
“If he stays well and he stays fit, Andy Carroll is always a handful for any defender with his sheer physicality,” Bruce told the Express & Star (18th April).
“What is good for him is that his ankle is good, he deserves that bit of luck. I had him for two years up at Newcastle and the one thing Andy wanted to do all the time was play, that was his frustration.”
“That was his third goal for us against Blackpool and I’m delighted he is fit, that is the most important thing for him.”
Surprise Package
When Carroll first game into the club, most Baggies fans would’ve been forgiven for rolling their eyes wondering what the point was wasting time on such a short term deal.
Yes, West Brom have struggled massively in front of goal this season, but at the time an injury-prone forward recently released from struggling Reading didn’t seem like the answer to that problem.
He still might not be long term, with Daryl Dike yet to get a proper run out in an Albion shirt due to injury shortly after his arrival, but there’s no questioning that Carroll has been doing an admirable job in the meantime.
With a big squad rebuild due in the summer after an underwhelming campaign, it will be interesting to see what decision is made on the future of a player who has managed to confound a lot of his critics in recent weeks.
In other West Brom news, Bruce has been outlining his key transfer priorities for the upcoming window.
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