Confirmed: Harry Whitwell signs new West Brom contract
West Brom starlet Harry Whitwell has signed his first professional contract with the club following a strong start to Albion’s Under-21 campaign.
The 17-year-old’s deal will keep him in the West Midlands till 2025 after only signing a scholarship with the Under-18 team in the summer.
The midfielder has featured in all nine fixtures for Richard Beale’s under-21 side this campaign and has caught the eyes of supporters at Keys Park and The Hawthorns [Express and Star].
Academy manager Richard Stevens was delighted to have secured the teenager’s services, saying: “This is a great reward for the effort and progress Harry has shown since making the step from a schoolboy to a scholar.
“For a young lad who has just turned 17, he has shown he has the capability of playing regularly in the PL2 team.
“He’s already trained in the first team under the new manager, he has had several sessions with the first team this season.”
Exciting prospect
It seems an eternity since West Brom had a long-term vision and started improving their youth teams, but this news could suggest a shift in approach since the arrival of Carlos Corberan.
Whitwell is the most exciting prospect within West Brom’s ranks, and the fact that Corberan has deemed him good enough to train with the first team speaks volumes of his talent.
The 17-year-old has looked at home under Beale this season despite playing against opposition who are sometimes two or three years older than him and will now look to continually develop under the guidance of Beale.
Although the youngster must keep his feet firmly placed on the ground, this is a huge moment in his career.
From a larger viewpoint, the news that Corberan has asked Whitwell to train with his first team suggests that The Baggies could be starting to have a shift in philosophy – shipping older talent out of the club and bringing through fresh, exciting players.
In other news, Experienced West Brom ace may be shown door in January, likely to drop in pecking order – report.