England youngsters could be key for West Brom following summer of change

Sam Field and Kyle Edwards are both in Paul Simpson’s England squad for the prestigious competition.

Both players are academy success stories. Field is a lifelong Albion fan from Hagley who was played down an age group before a growth spurt.

Edwards hails from just down the road in Dudley, and spent nearly a year recovering from a nasty knee injury.

Both have been with the club since under-9s. Both are now 21. Despite their tricky paths to the first team, they are reaching the age where they need to play.

Field has already played 40 times for his boyhood club and he made 18 appearances last season, but only started four games in the Championship. A victim of competition, he was up against experienced professionals Chris Brunt and Gareth Barry, who have played nearly 1,500 senior games between them.

Edwards only started three league games, all of them under caretaker boss Jimmy Shan in the final 10 matches of the regular season, despite impressing in pre-season last summer.

But with so many players leaving The Hawthorns this summer, next season could and should provide the perfect opportunity for them to flourish.

Field has been misused, but has quietly but consistently impressed the majority of times he’s been called upon.

Although he needs to play forward more often, he is a tidy passer capable of looking after the ball at the base of midfield who also possesses a fierce tackle. Edwards’ solo goal against Brentford proves he has the spark to be a threat.

Both have shown signs they could develop into regulars with a run in the first team and a manager who both believes in them and coaches them.

Because that’s the rub. These two are still developing, they’re not yet the finished article, and expecting them to be so after so few games is unfair.

With a coach capable of improving players, there’s no reason why they can’t be two key men for a new-look squad.