West Bromwich Albion have produced an admirable amount of youth talent in recent years, with a new crop seemingly on the precipice of breaking through.
Carlos Corberan might be seemingly walking into a club in turmoil, unexpectedly finding themselves at the wrong end of the Championship table, but the future certainly looks bright for the Baggies.
Whilst Reyes Cleary might steal the headlines as the standout youth product, one man who might benefit the Spanish boss even more is a versatile winger who could hold down the right wing-back slot for the foreseeable future.
It could also spell the end at The Hawthorns for the ageing Matt Phillips.
Tom Fellows will surely be delighted with Corberan’s appointment, given how the former Huddersfield Town manager employs a 3-4-3 system which thrives on impressive wide men.
The 19-year-old is currently earning his first taste of regular senior football on loan at Crawley Town, with his exploits and versatility earning praise.
Even as far back as Valerien Ismael’s reign, the youngster was on the radar, as his former Baggies boss outlined his “quality” after what he described as a “good debut for him”.
Having already played nine times for Crawley, he has actually played in five different positions, a tremendous marker of his versatility. With one assist to his name already, Fellows has quickly established himself as a mainstay in Kevin Betsy’s side.
He has proven himself to be a step above youth football, as indicated by a return of 12 goals and nine assists in 35 games at under-18 level.
The fact that he already has eight first-team appearances for West Brom further emphasises how highly he is regarded at The Hawthorns, and upon returning from what will hopefully be a successful loan spell, he can then start working on impressing the new manager at Albion.
A full season playing League Two football should help his development no end, thus displacing the 31-year-old Phillips, who has just two goal contributions in 16 Championship games this term.
Although the Scot is a dependable option on the right flank, an injection of youth will always be well received by the team and supporters alike.
Corberan has an underrated gem on his hands who should improve with each passing game. Next season, the 39-year-old could have the perfect player for his system right under his nose.
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