Don Goodman makes admission about West Brom ace Tom Fellows amid January transfer speculation
We’re delighted to welcome former West Brom striker Don Goodman as our exclusive columnist. Each week he’ll be giving his views on the biggest talking points at The Hawthorns.
Don Goodman admits he had not heard of Tom Fellows before this season, but he now believes the youngster is irreplaceable for West Brom.
Fellows has been at The Hawthorns since Under-10s level and is now a regular for the first team at the age of just 20.
Having featured sporadically over the past two campaigns, Fellows has played 18 times under Carlos Corberan in all competitions this season.
The youngster’s reputation was enhanced further when starting three straight games at the start of the year, only to be struck down by illness.
Fellows was linked with moves to Everton and Southampton earlier in the window, but he signed a new long-term deal with Albion last week.
And Goodman believes the Baggies now have a much better chance of staying in the Championship’s top six with Fellows sticking around.
“I’d not heard of him before seeing him for the first time this season,” Goodman told West Brom News.
“But he got on the ball and took on the full-back so he is one of these players that, when on the ball, he can find a way to hurt the opponent.
“I like that, and I’ve also been impressed with him when coming off the bench. With the injuries, he’s getting a chance to start more games.
“He can help keep West Brom in the top six. Then when you’re in the top six it’s a lottery.
“The top four are as strong as I’ve ever seen collectively in the Championship, but two of them will be disappointed to be in the play-offs.
“The favourites to win the play-offs do not always win them, so West Brom will be better with Fellows in their squad than without him.
“If you lost him, what would you be able to attract? To attract a loan player of his calibre would be really difficult.”
In other West Brom news, a pundit was left fuming at something “terrible” he saw an Albion player do in the loss to Wolves.
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