"One of the most underrated" - Bold West Brom claim made on academy setup | OneFootball

Our West Brom fan pundit discussed the strength of the the club's academy

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

West Brom's youth system has been praised amid an emergence of academy prospects plying their trade both in the Baggies' first-team and for other clubs around the country.

Given their location and proximity to other professional clubs in the form of Wolves, Aston Villa, Birmingham City and Walsall, it means that the five clubs are often fighting for the same prospects in the area, making it even more impressive that West Brom have such a good track rate when it comes to developing players.

The likes of Tom Fellows came through the Baggies' academy and have gone onto become a mainstay in Carlos Corberan's side this season, while there are a number of players who are regulars in the Premier League after coming through West Brom's youth system.

Having a strong academy is always hugely important for clubs as it allows them to develop players with a real connection to the club, and West Brom's has certainly done its job in recent years.

West Brom praised for their strong youth system

We asked our West Brom fan pundit, Callum Burgess, what he thought about the club's youth system and whether it was doing its job producing enough talent, and he's certainly satisfied with the players they've brought through.

Speaking to Football League World, Callum said: “I feel that there’s an argument to be had that West Brom have one of the most underrated youth systems in the country with the amount of youth talent that we’re able to produce.

“You can see quite a lot of players across the leagues from our academy who have come through the system even if they’re out on loan or left as they felt they had a better chance of playing football elsewhere.

“I think that’s the sign of a good system where there are players across the leagues (who have come through West Brom’s academy).

“In the Premier League you’ve got Dara O’Shea and Morgan Rogers playing on a regular basis.

"In the Championship, you’ve got the likes of Finn Azaz at Middlesbrough, who is a decent Championship player, despite an inconsistent start to the season, and then you’ve got Tom Fellows with us, who is one of the best players in the Championship and the best attacking talents.

“In League One you’ve got players who have come through the system and are out on loan, like Caleb Taylor, who is going to be one of the next big emerging players who can solidify a place in the Albion team soon, with Bartley likely to leave in the summer.

“So, Albion are producing enough good talent on a regular basis, and hopefully we can have more players who are regular starters come through the academy, whether it’s Tom Fellows now or Caleb Taylor in the future.”

West Brom's academy could make them a lot of money in the future

If West Brom continue to bring through quality players like Fellows, then not only will it save them money on transfer fees, but it'll also mean that they could be sold for big money in the future.

Of course, West Brom would want to keep their best players at the club, but unfortunately, the pecking order means that there are always going to be clubs circling to take their best prospects like Rogers when he left for Manchester City.

However, if they can fast-track their best players to the first-team and give them senior contracts, it means that interested clubs will have to fork out more money to prize them away, benefiting West Brom.

West Brom deserve huge credit for the strength of their academy, particularly when you consider the opposition they face to sign local players across the Black Country and the Midlands, and they're seeing the rewards of that with someone like Fellows.

Fellows is from Solihull, so you'd expect Birmingham City or even Coventry City to have secured his signature, but he signed for West Brom at U10's level, and he's never looked back.

He looks set to play a hugely important role this season, and if he was to depart in the near future, West Brom would command a big fee, showing the benefits of having a strong youth set up.