West Brom: Carlos Corberan must make ‘dream come true’ for Under-18 sensation
Archie Kirton, like many youngsters at The Hawthorns, dreams of making his debut for West Brom, and if he continues on the same trajectory, Carlos Corberan may not be able to ignore him.
The Baggies winger, capable of deputising on either flank or at right-back, has had a breakthrough season in the U18 Premier League this season, starting 13 of their 18 matches.
Despite naturally being a winger, head coach Leigh Downing, has mainly been deploying him in the full-back role, which has hindered his attacking ability a little.
However, the 18-year-old was finally given the opportunity to showcase his talents further forward as West Brom faced Arsenal U18s on Saturday 6 April, occupying the right wing.
Although the Gunners looked as though they were about to take home a 2-1 victory, leading since the 26th minute, Kirton popped up in the final minute of the match to snatch an equaliser.
The youngster also grabbed the assist for Dan Chemiziri’s earlier goal, marking his first goal and assist of the season in an all-important performance against tough opposition.
Arsenal are currently in fifth, three points behind Tottenham Hotspur in third, while the Baggies are adrift in ninth place. Despite the gap in league positions, Kirton was not fazed as he tucked away the equaliser.
Carlos Corberan must hand Archie Kirton his West Brom dream
Speaking via West Brom’s official X account, Kirton said: “I’ve been here 12 years now. Myself, my dad and my grandad have all had season tickets since I was four years old.
I’m a very big West Brom fan, yeah. I want to make my family proud because I know how much effort they’ve put into me. If I can make my debut, that’ll be a dream come true.”
The opportunities for youngsters under Corberan have certainly been limited, but that is not to say that Kirton cannot make his debut soon for the senior team.
The likes of Caleb Taylor, Mo Faal, Zac Ashworth and Ethan Ingram are all examples of young talents at The Hawthorns that have been on the fringes of the first team, though they are now all out on loan gaining valuable experiences.
Tom Fellows is the prime example. however. The 20-year-old has experienced a breakout season under Corberan, notching four goals and three assists.
Playing in the same position as Kirton, he can offer a lot of inspiration and motivation moving forward. It could only be a matter of time until the 18-year-old makes his first-team debut.
In other West Brom news, a £1.58billion claim has emerged as Shilen Patel completes the takeover to become the new Baggies chairman.
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