Rich Beale gushes about West Brom talent Taylor Gardner-Hickman
Rich Beale has showered heaps of praise on young West Brom talent Taylor Gardner-Hickman.
The 20-year-old wonder broke into the senior team from the Under-23 side last season and went on to make 21 appearances at The Hawthorns.
Beale, the under-23s boss, was heavily impressed with his attitude, saying the young utility-man worked extremely hard in training.
“Taylor is a fantastic story because at the start of pre-season he was first in all the running, he was the most enthusiastic player on the pitch,” said Beale, as quoted by Express and Star.
“In the four, five, six weeks he was with us – he really encompassed all the values, the culture, West Bromwich Albion wants to be about.
“He has the values that as a coach I preach. It’s great when that’s the player who goes on to get selected – and not just get selected, show they are good enough to compete at the level.
“And it’s brilliant that the other young lads can now look up to him. He is the first to arrive at the training ground, the last to leave.
“He gives 110 per cent every single day and he is a talented lad well.”
Inspiration
Gardner-Hickman’s success is an inspiration for other academy youngsters.
It is always a great feeling to see a new player coming out of the academy, and doing so well for the senior team.
The youngster has proved last season that he is good enough for the first team. It was a great learning curve for him, and he will grow from here.
The likes of Caleb Taylor, Zac Ashworth and Ethan Ingram are all now hoping to follow in his footsteps next season.
The summer transfer window will be crucial for the club, as Steve Bruce previously hinted that he will make massive changes to the squad.
The Baggies endured a frustrating campaign last season, but they will be looking to regroup and get into the Premier League once again.
The current Baggies squad is unbalanced, and Bruce should aim to make it competitive.
The club need players in almost every department, although reinforcement is heavily needed in midfield and in the attack. However, with money not available in plenty, it remains to be seen how Bruce shapes his squad for the next season.
In other West Brom news, the boss wants a goalkeeper and he’s ready to raid one of his former clubs to get one.
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