Birmingham v West Brom preview: Carlos Corberan 'humbled' by quick approach for new contract talks

Naturally, negotiations were likely to have been accelerated due to strong links with Premier League Leeds United, but the wheels had been in motion for a few weeks.

Chief executive Ron Gourlay led the talks and opened proposals earlier in January.

He outlined Albion’s vision under the head coach’s ultra-impressive guide and Corberan felt honoured that his work, in less than three months, had prompted the club to support him further.

The Baggies boss attempts to improve on his stunning Championship record of 10 wins in 13 as Albion head to Blues in front of the TV cameras this evening.

That record in lifting Albion back into promotion contention and away from a scrap to avoid League One has been noticed among top-flight clubs. Not that Leeds, a third Premier League club linked with the Spaniard, needed reminding of his qualities. Corberan was already very much on the radar at Elland Road for his time as youth coach and as understudy to the legendary Marcelo Bielsa.

But Corberan is happy at The Hawthorns. He was satisfied to shelve talk of a new deal until after the January transfer window and found it straight-forward to finalise a deal with Gourlay this week.

“I feel very pleased to be here, I feel very proud to be on the bench at West Bromwich in matches, that’s my feeling,” Corberan said. “This is one club with a lot of resources, a lot of possibilities, and with one amazing support at its back.

“So when you see the resources, the people you are working with, for me that is very important, the level of people I am working with. When they show you support, commit with you, try to help you the maximum level, we need to consider this a lot.”

Corberan revealed Albion’s attempts to engage in improved terms was a level of respect he had a lot of time for. “Just the fact the club, a few weeks ago, told me to renew the contract when we were working together two or three months, it showed me a lot of things,” he said.

“This is one level of respect for me and my staff and our job, very high.

“This is important, there are things in life as a coach very important and this is one. To have this possibility to extend our commitment after a short period of time means a lot to me, that’s why I was very pleased to do it.”

The Spaniard admitted Albion and The Hawthorns left its imprint on him from his first trip, New Year’s Day 2020, with Bielsa’s Leeds as the Championship’s two best teams that season did battle.

Corberan explained: “We had a very nice competition between the two teams, I remember we were playing together and it was the first time West Bromwich impacted me a lot.

“The first time I came here with Leeds playing against West Bromwich I was thinking ‘Wow, my God! It’s a big one!’

“This memory stayed with me and to have the possibility to now be the coach and manager of West Bromwich, to be in this big club and say now I represent them, it means a lot. It’s a lot.

“That’s why I’m so pleased with the extension of my contract, my commitments, and this feeling it gives me the responsibility to keep working hard to try to put this club in the highest level we can put it, as it’s a very massive club.”