Thirteen youngsters have signed scholarship terms with Albion ahead of the 2025/26 season.
Maxwell Moses (goalkeeper), George Shaw (centre-back), Antonio Perkins (centre-back), Joel Asomugha (centre-back), Alfie Round (left-back), Theo Jackson (left-back), Reece Bastafield (central midfielder), Danyal Iqbal (central midfielder), Shane Gompe (central midfielder), Harry French (attacking midfielder), Umar Sankoh (attacking midfielder), Remar McNeil (attacker) and Justin Seven-Seven (attacker) have all agreed two-year contracts until June 2027.
The teenagers join a group of second-year scholars who made a strong statement during their maiden term on the programme - reaching the quarter-finals of the FA Youth Cup, with several also featuring in the Under-21s group.
Those moments will provide plenty of inspiration for the Baggies’ new first-years, something which Academy Manager Richard Stevens is confident the club will see the benefit of during the upcoming season.
“I’m very pleased with the group we have coming into the scholarship programme,” said Stevens.
“There’s a nice mix in this group and a number of boys (Moses, Jackson, Iqbal, Sankoh, McNeil, Seven-Seven) have been here right from day one around the pre-academy stage.
“They, along with those who have been here through the youth development phase (Asomugha, Shaw, Perkins, Round), are embedded in this football club, know what we’re all about, and they are West Bromwich Albion.
“We have some who joined us via a different route. George for example was at another Midlands club, maybe didn’t get the news he wanted there, but has come here and been outstanding, has incredible professionalism, and I like it when young lads make the most of a second chance in the game.
“We also have three boys who are from out of the local area here (Bastafield, Gompe, French) who have little academy experience, but have benefitted from a different pathway in. Harry has been playing men’s football in step five, so he arrives with a different mentality, while Reece and Shane have come from grassroots and high-end youth football.
“All 13 have different traits and qualities and I’m confident they will come into the programme to develop, grow and mature in their football, and I believe last year’s first-years and this season’s first-year group will be a good representation of where the Academy is now.
“Some 17s played a lot of 21s football last year. It’s a nice-to-have and not a must-have, and the Youth Cup run shows that with a little bit of commitment, luck, along with their belief and ability, you can progress on those sorts of stages.
“I believe the group will have a good time at the football club for the upcoming season and make themselves better. That’s a strong place to be and it sets the precedent for the year groups below, and that trickles down right through the academy so that, hopefully, we can create something.”
(New scholars from left to right: Alfie Round, Antonio Perkins, Danyal Iqbal, George Shaw, Harry French, Joel Asomugha, Justin Seven-Seven, Maxwell Moses, Reece Bastafield, Remar McNeil, Shane Gompe, Theo Jackson, Umar Sankoh)
Congratulations and good luck on your next step at the Albion, lads!
