West Brom fans all saying same thing about Aune Heggebo after debut vs Blackburn
West Brom got their 2024/25 Championship campaign off to an excellent start on Saturday with a 1-0 victory over Blackburn Rovers.
Ryan Mason’s side have had mixed fortunes in pre-season, but they ensured they got off the mark at the first opportunity in league action with an encouraging performance at The Hawthorns.
Isaac Price netted the only goal of the game to hand West Brom all three points, with the only negative of the afternoon being a late red card for Darnell Furlong.
The encounter also saw Aune Heggebo make his competitive debut in English football, following his £4.75million move from Norway earlier in the summer.
West Brom fans rave about Heggebo’s hold-up play
Heggebo has looked promising in the early stages of his West Brom career, but he will undoubtedly need to be allowed plenty of time to adapt to the style of play in the Football League.
The 24-year-old led the line for the Baggies on Saturday, as Mason opted to hand him his first competitive start at the earliest opportunity.
The new boss was rewarded with another encouraging display from his new frontman, as Heggebo was a nuisance for the visiting backline throughout the afternoon.
- Heggebo joined West Brom from Brann for £4.75million earlier this summer
- He had hit seven goals in 13 games during the first half of the Norwegian season
- He had been Brann’s top scorer for two out of the last three seasons prior to his move
He looked a threat with his back to goal, and showcased the type of physicality that could make him an ideal striker for Championship football.
Heggebo even laid on his first assist for the club, as he did excellently to hold off his man and dig the ball out for Price to turn home after a scramble from a long throw.
It was a strong showing from the former Brann star, and numerous Baggies supporters have taken to X to point out the strength of his hold-up play.
Heggebo looks a sensible buy for the Baggies
There has been plenty of intrigue surrounding Heggebo’s signing, which is completely natural when a player arrives from a largely unknown foreign league.
However, the early signs suggest that he could be a sensible buy for the B71 outfit.
Overseas players can sometimes have mixed results in the EFL, but the signings who usually have the most success are the ones who can easily adapt to the physical nature of the game.
- Maja ended 2024/25 as the Baggies’ top scorer, despite missing the final 20 games through injury
As a result, the fact that Heggebo is already drawing praise for his hold-up play will be an excellent sight for Mason, as it shows that he already looks likely to do the job that he was brought in to do.
Goals will obviously be an added bonus, but if the Baggies can keep Josh Maja fit, then there won’t be too much pressure on Heggebo to go and hit 20 strikes in his first campaign.
Only time will tell whether West Brom’s investment proves to be a strong one, but for now at least, Heggebo seems to be heading on the right track.
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