West Brom teenager Zac Ashworth delighted with ‘perfect’ debut
West Brom manager Steve Bruce had to delve into the club’s academy last weekend as injuries and other unavailability issues mounted up.
Making his debut away at Reading on Saturday was 19-year-old Zac Ashworth who slotted in at left wing-back as Conor Townsend limped off injured.
He is the son of former Albion sporting and technical director Dan Ashworth and he was over the moon with his debut for the club he has a season ticket for.
“I saw Conor go down injured and I was thinking whether I would come on or whether it would be someone else,” Ashworth said, as quoted by the Express and Star.
“The gaffer could have gone with someone with much more experience, but thankfully he gave me the nod and put his trust in me.
“He didn’t have to do that so I am really grateful for that trust. I had a word with myself at half-time when I found out I’d be coming on and told myself it’s just another game of football.
“I came on and we managed to go and win the game in the second half which was brilliant. It was the perfect day for me.
“I’m a West Bromwich Albion fan and I’ve supported the club since I was a kid, so it was a dream come true.”
More of that
Despite it being his first taste of senior football, Ashworth handled himself immaculately and thanks to Karlan Grant’s 78th-minute winner, he was on the right side of the result too.
If he gets the chance again, the 19-year-old will be keen to show even more of his talents and come next season, he could even be challenging Townsend for the starting spot on a regular basis.
Bruce has to take Ashworth’s seamless debut as a sign that the academy players patiently waiting for their turn deserve to be given the chance more often than they have been.
The Under-23s have just reached the Premier League Cup final and there is a wealth of talent in that team that could do just as good a job, if not better, than the senior side.
It is only his hesitation holding him back but with nothing to play for against Barnsley this weekend, there is no better chance to throw them in and see who swims and who drowns on the big stage.
In other West Brom news, the Baggies have finally announced the signing of this midfielder after months of speculation.
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