JED WALLACE NAMED CAPTAIN OF WEST BROMWICH ALBION

The winger, who joined the Baggies in the summer of 2022 from fellow Sky Bet Championship club Millwall, was informed of the decision by boss Carlos Corberán on Friday morning before training.

Wallace will take over the full-time occupancy of the armband following the departure of Jake Livermore at the end of last season.

The 29-year-old featured in all 50 men’s senior games in 2022/23, scoring six goals.

And Jed says he proud and humbled to have been handed the responsibility.

He said: “It’s such a huge honour and privilege for me and my family to be named the new captain of our football club.

“It’s difficult to put into words just how proud I felt when Carlos told me on Friday morning.

“I have loved my time here at Albion so far, but this moment probably tops it all.

“I feel like I’ve formed so many brilliant relationships with so many different people connected to the club, including the players, all the backroom staff and the supporters.

“There have been so many outstanding players who have held this honour before me, and I’d like to assure the supporters that I’ll do everything I possibly can to be the best captain I can be for West Bromwich Albion.

“We have so many leaders in the dressing room and out on the pitch. It’s not just about me. It’s a collective effort to make sure we achieve success this season and beyond, and I’m confident we can do that if we all work together.

Carlos Corberán added: “For me, being a captain is really important.

“When you are a manager and you need to make a decision about who to pick, you have to see who has the leadership skills and the desire. You also need to look at who acts like a captain without being a captain.

“The captain also needs to lead by example. He needs to show an exemplary level of commitment in training, in matches and to his job every single day.

“This is why I have picked Jed Wallace and I’m confident he will do a fantastic job

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Next term will be the club’s third consecutive season at second tier level, but their first with Corberan in charge at the start of the campaign. West Brom have been a club with decent resources to attract the very best the Championship can offer in recent years, but spending has cut back somewhat this summer.

The parachute payments have dried up, and ongoing ownership issues have meant that they’re operating on a tighter budget than usual this season.

Player sales will be key to how they can operate in the market, with Dara O’Shea’s move to Burnley easing the financial issues at the club for the time being.

Other departures this summer include Kean Bryan, Jake Livermore, and Tom Rogic. All three payers were in the first-team last season but have left upon the expiry of their deals.

Striker Karlan Grant has also left West Brom in the current window, signing for Cardiff City on a season-long loan deal.

The club haven’t made significant changes in terms of incomings, signing Jeremy Sarmiento on a loan deal from Brighton and Hove Albion. The Ecuadorian international winger will be looking for more senior game time in the West Midlands, and to add some flair to West Brom’s attack.

Their other arrival is the signing fo former Sunderland striker Josh Maja, who joins the club on a free transfer from French side Bourdeaux and has penned a three-year deal at the Hawthorns.

The Baggies will be looking to go one better and reach the play-offs next season. That would improve on what they have achieved in the last two seasons at second tier level, finishing ninth and 10th in the table since their relegation from the top-flight in 2020/21.

It is possible that they will require more incoming business before mounting another serious promotion push this season, but continuity could be a key factor for the side this season.

They took last season’s play-off battle all the way until the final game of the season, and would have likely squeezed in if they had just a few more games, with Corberan’s influence since his arrival propelling the Baggies up the table.

Obviously, there are issues away from the field, and that could threaten to derail their season; but West Brom’s squad doesn’t need major surgery this summer, with the main issues perhaps being in defensive areas.

Those are somewhat mitigated against due to Corberan’s more compact and pragmatic style, which focuses on being solid defensively first, and allows West Brom’s most exciting creative players to strut their stuff in attack.

If they can replace O’Shea and add a bit more to a few areas, they will be a shoo-in for a play-off berth this season, especially now many of the squad have got to grips with the Spaniard’s coaching and play style.

Jayson Molumby and Okay Yokuslu is one of the best double-pivots in the division, and Jed Wallace and John Swift are two players of extremely high quality and two of the most creative players in the league, too.

Alex Mowatt has been added back to that as well, and West Brom should have the firepower with Daryl Dike and Maja to score goals, especially from set-piece delivery.

Continuity is no bad thing, but the supporting cast could do with some work as the depth lacks a little, which is why avoiding injuries will also be key, however, the overall quality of some of their best players should give them a real chance of attacking the top end of the league once more.

I’m backing them for a play-off spot this season, in spite of a lot of fans and pundits predicting a more consolidatory season whilst the off-field issues are addressed and, hopefully, resolved.