Where are they now? Ten West Brom academy products
It’s safe to say that, in recent times, Albion have produced their fair share of talented players.
Many have gone on to forge careers away from The Hawthorns.
But two of the current crop in Dara O’Shea and Taylor Gardner-Hickman could be among the best products to come off the Baggies’ production line.
O’Shea has been in and around the first team set up at The Hawthorns now for a few years and has the potential to become a really top class player. He’s broken in to the Baggies and the Republic of Ireland squads and there aren’t many other graduates who have had such a rapid rise.
Equally, Gardner-Hickman came to the attention of most Albion fans during his League Cup display against Arsenal earlier in the season. Substitute appearances followed and the impressive midfielder turned wing back is now in a position where Albion fans are frustrated at his exclusion from the line-up - despite only playing a handful of games.
The pair are exciting – as are a number of graduates following them. The likes of Reyes Cleary, Rico Richards, Caleb Taylor, Tom Fellows and Zak Ashworth are just some of the names being touted to follow in the footsteps of those who have gone before them. Aside from the current graduates there are a number of players who have made it onto the Baggies first team stage - but have left The Hawthorns for pastures new.
Here, we look at some of the players Albion have produced in recent times.
Rekeem Harper
The club had high hopes for the young midfielder when he broke through back in 2017. He featured a number of times in the 2018/2019 season – scoring a memorable goal against Birmingham City.
The season ended in play-off heartbreak and Harper never really got the chance to show what he was about after that. A loan spell at Birmingham followed before he left to join Ipswich Town last summer – and now the midfielder has joined Crewe.
Kyle Edwards
Like Harper, Edwards was expected to do big things at the club. Making his debut in 2015, he was around the first team for a handful of seasons before really being given a crack during Albion’s two seasons in the Championship. Under Slaven Bilic he was handed a number of appearances and it seemed as though he would kick on. But it wasn’t to be and he too signed for Ipswich last summer.
Jonathan Leko
The winger made up the academy graduate trio alongside Harper and Edwards – and made his debut under Tony Pulis back in 2015. Despite some early promise – with winger’s Albion career never really got going – and he left to join Birmingham City. Leko is currently on loan at Charlton.
Sam Field
Field featured in the 2017/2018 Premier League campaign and became something of a fans’ favourite.
However, despite 34 appearances he never really nailed down a place and after injuries and a loan spell at QPR he signed for the Hoops on a permanent deal last year.
Nathan Ferguson
The young defender came from nowhere and seemed to be all but gone within a flash. Ferguson wasn’t even in the first-team fold when Bilic arrived in 2019 – but he soon changed that by converting the youth defender to a full-back.
After 21 appearances, Ferguson picked up an injury towards the second half of the promotion campaign and by that time Crystal Palace were circling. Eventually, after a long drawn-out process, Ferguson signed for the club and after an injury-hit first few months made his debut for the club.
With Ferguson, it really was a case of what if for a player who came out of nowhere to shine for the Baggies.
Saido Berahino
Arguably the most high-profile talent to come off the Albion production line – who for many turned out to be the biggest case of ‘what if’.
Berahino burst on to the Baggies scene when he scored the winner in a victory at Old Trafford in September 2013. He was then in the fold and after a number of Premier League goals he became the obvious target of attention for the big boys.
A £15 million bid from Tottenham was knocked back and after a number of subsequent bids were also rejected the striker hit out at then owner Jeremy Peace – stating he would never play for him again.
His Albion career would never recover, and he joined Stoke City where it emerged that he had served a drugs ban during his final months at The Hawthorns. After his unsuccessful Stoke spell, he spent time in Belgium before linking up with former Baggies man Darren Moore at Sheffield Wednesday.
Tyler Roberts
The striker is one who can be labelled under the players who was never really given a chance at The Hawthorns – before going on to forge a good career elsewhere.
The Welsh international played just once for the Baggies – in a career that saw him out on loan three times before he joined Leeds United for a fee in the region of £2.5 million.
And it was where Roberts flourished – as he helped the club back to the Premier League and has made almost 100 appearances for United.
Kemar Roofe
The attacking midfielder is similar to Roberts – in that he excelled on leaving The Hawthorns. During his time at the Baggies, he went on a number of loan spells and after a successful stint with Oxford United he penned a permanent deal at the Kassam Stadium. He then went on to make more than 100 appearances for Leeds – and after a stint with Belgian giants Anderlecht he signed for Rangers and went on to win the SPL title at Ibrox.
George Thorne
Thorne was a midfielder who really did have a bright future ahead of time - but injuries have dogged his career and he last played back in 2020.
Thorne became Albion’s youngest ever player in the 2009/10 season – before heading out for a number of loan spells. In 2012, he was recalled by Steve Clarke and was handed a start against Manchester United but after 10 appearances he left the club to sign for Derby County for a fee of around £3 million. He suffered a serious knee injury months into his time at Pride Park and after two loan spells he left for Oxford United where it was reported he was playing for free. Despite being just 29, Thorne hasn’t played for almost two years.
Izzy Brown
Excitement was high when Brown broke through to the Albion first-team squad, but after one first team appearance Chelsea came circling and Brown was gone. Brown left for a nominal fee in 2013 and at the time that prompted Jeremy Peace to consider scrapping the club’s category one development academy as rules indicated Brown could leave for next to nothing.
Since leaving The Hawthorns, Brown’s career hasn’t hit the heights many thought it once would. He played once for Chelsea, with most of his time spent out on loan before penning a permanent deal at Preston North End in 2021.
