(Credit: Breaking Media/ Manh Tung)

Jacob Raw

Fri 27 March 2026 15:56, UK

Carlton Cole has revealed that beloved West Brom legend Cyrille Regis was his mentor when he was younger, while featuring on a panel after the showing of the new Clyde Best documentary.

Many Baggies fans might not be old enough to remember Regis or how good he was; however, they’ve all heard the stories, seen the videos and listened to the tributes.

The Albion legend was not only known for his goal-scoring ability, but also for his importance to future generations of black footballers.

He and West Ham legend Best were trailblazers for black footballers, and battled through racial abuse to give others a platform to succeed in the game, as Cole then carried on their progression to help the race be accepted today.

West Brom have had many legends grace The Hawthorns, but not many were finer than Regis.

Carlton Cole says Cyrille Regis was ‘influential’ to his career

Best was one of the first black players to reach England’s first division, playing and writing his legend for the Hammers until the late 1960s-70s.

Regis also played a huge pioneering role, featuring for West Brom in the 1970s-80s, scoring goals and becoming a hero to earn a statue, alongside the other two-thirds of the Threee Degrees – Laurie Cunningham and Brendon Batson – in the West Bromwich town centre.

Alongside Best and Regis, Cole also played his part for black footballers, and played for England from 2009 to 2010.

Cole was speaking on a panel at Sadler’s Wells East in London on Thursday after the showing of Transforming the Beautiful Game – The Clyde Best Story.

The former West Ham striker said: “I’m privileged to be on such a stage with people that I’ve looked up to all my life and people that respect the game the way I do and love the game the way I do.

“Football’s given me a lot, and as a youth, I looked up to the top players that Clyde Best appealed to. You saw Sir Les Ferdinand up on the screen, you saw Ian Wright, you saw Cyrille Regis, who was actually my mentor when I was younger.

“God rest his soul, he’s not here with us today, but he was very influential on my journey, and to know that he looked up to a West Ham legend in Clyde just makes my journey feel right.”

Things you may not know about West Brom legend Regis

The older generation of Baggies fans may remember Regis well for his contribution to helping Albion keep their top-flight status during difficult times.

His knack for finding the back of the net was admired, and it wasn’t just the one Black Country Club where he succeeded during his career.

Alongside Cunningham and Batson, Regis was one of the first black players to play for West Brom, and helped change the game for the better.

The forward will be rightly remembered for generations to come.