Royals boss Neil Tooth tips ex-Baggies youth to kick on after league accolade
Sutton Coldfield Town boss Neil Tooth believes former Royals ace Jordan Tunnicliffe has the world at his feet.
Former West Brom trainee Tunnicliffe, 27, was named in the League Two Team of the Year for the 2020–21 season after an outstanding season with Crawley.
Among his highlights was scoring Crawley's final goal in a 3-0 FA Cup third round win over Premier League side Leeds United in January.
It was at Coles Lane, though, that Tunnicliffe fell back in love with the game after his release by the Baggies.
And manager Tooth believes his grounding has helped him kick on.
"Jordan's one of the many success stories we had at Sutton," said Tooth. "He's one of the ones who has kicked on.
"He'd left full-time football with Albion and had been on trial, here and there.
"I think he had a spell playing for Stalybridge in the Conference North.
"But he didn't settle anywhere and was on the verge of knocking it on the head.
"He was really good friends with Tom Turton, another player who was with us at the time."
"They'd spent time together at West Brom and he brought him in training.
"I had a sit down and chat with Jordan and we decided he hadn't lost the will to succeed, he'd just lost a bit of love for the game.
"He'd had a few trials such as at Norwich and West Ham where nothing happened.
"We persuaded him to play for us and take it a game at a time. We just said, come and play, get a feel for it.
"He just loved it, he loved the camaraderie. It was football, he hadn't been part of, having a laugh as well as the match, a beer after.
"His time before us had been travelling and trialling. He had no relationship building with the players he was playing with. He was just getting back in his car and it was quite lonely.
"So he settled and absolutely excelled with us. We knew straight away he was quality and once he got fitness and games under his belt, clubs soon started sniffing about."
He eventually moved on to Kidderminster but returned for a loan spell with the Royals.
"He keeps in touch and he sent us a signed shirt from when he scored the winner in the FA Cup," Tooth add.
"That was a nice gesture and he still remembers his roots.
"It's no surprise to see him doing so well because he's got everything and I fully expect him to get a chance at a bigger club and push on."
