Jamaldeen Jimoh-Aloba reveals admiration for West Brom promotion-winner in fascinating confession
West Brom were able to bag a deadline day capture of attacking midfielder Jamaldeen Jimoh-Aloba.
Eric Ramsay was able to sign four new players for his West Brom side in the winter window, as he now hopes to have enough quality to successfully steer Albion away from the relegation zone.
A handful of moves were made at The Hawthorns on deadline day, with Jimoh-Aloba’s loan move from Aston Villa being the headline piece of West Brom business.
Unai Emery rates Jimoh-Aloba highly, as do many around Villa Park, and the 19-year-old looks set to play a big part in Albion’s relegation battle.
Jamaldeen Jimoh-Aloba makes surprise Kyle Edwards confession
Jimoh-Aloba is a boyhood West Brom fan, and so returning to Albion will be a huge moment in his young career.
Indeed, the teenager spent just under a decade in West Brom’s academy during his childhood years, before being snapped up by local Midlands rivals Villa in the summer of 2023.
It’s during this time in West Brom’s academy that he will have rubbed shoulders with future Albion first-teamer, Kyle Edwards.
Edwards, despite being eight years Jimoh-Aloba’s senior, didn’t graduate from West Brom’s academy until 2016, and Jimoh-Aloba joined Baggies’ youth setup in 2013.
As such, they did indeed spend a few years in West Brom’s academy system together, and that’s important context to know given Jimoh-Aloba’s answer to a specific question.
Speaking in an interview via West Brom’s X account, Jimoh-Aloba revealed his admiration for Edwards through his answer to the question: ‘What was the first football shirt you ever owned?’
Jimoh-Aloba simply responded: “Kyle Edwards”.
Where is Edwards now?
Edwards left West Brom to join Ipswich Town in the summer of 2021, but not after helping Albion win promotion to the Premier League in 2019-20, as well as making a handful of top-flight appearances.
From there, the versatile winger moved to Oxford United on a permanent deal in January 2024, before signing for Stevenage in last year’s winter transfer window.
However, now aged 27, Edwards turns out for Northampton Town in League One, having joined the Cobblers in this season’s summer window.
Ahead of Northampton’s Tuesday night game away at Barnsley, Edwards has currently made 14 appearances for them in all competitions this term, scoring just the once.
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