West Brom might have turned to Hawthorns favourite and former Club Brugge coach Carl Hoefkens had Carlos Corberan been lured away by Leeds United at the start of 2023, according to reports.
Queens Park Rangers found out the hard way the potential pitfalls of hiring a highly-ambitious head coach. Mick Beale, only a few months into his three-year contract, courted Wolves before eventually shacking up once again with his old flame Rangers.
Now, a QPR side top of the Championship table under Beale six months ago appear to be sleepwalking towards League One.
Fortunately for the Baggies, Corberan’s loyalty was such that, even when former employers Leeds United came calling after the sacking of Jesse Marsch, the Spaniard wasted little time in signing a new deal until the summer of 2027.
That is not to say that West Brom did not draw up plans in the event of a worst-case scenario situation, however. The Baggies, Het Laaste Nieuws say, might have turned to a familiar face with former fans’ favourite Hoefkens a candidate to step into Corberan’s shoes.
West Brom are fans of Carl Hoefkens
44-year-old Hoefkens spent two seasons at West Brom between 2007 and 2009. Nicknamed ‘Wolverwine’ due to his spiky hair, hefty sideburns and ‘claws out’ approach to defending, the £750,000 signing from Stoke City was a key part of the Albion side who won the Championship title under Tony Mowbray 15 years ago.
Hoefkens, who played 22 times for Belgium at international level, guided Club Brugge to the 2022 Belgian Cup and into the knockout stages of the Champions League during his one and only senior managerial role.
A run of poor domestic form was his undoing. Though, if you ask many Brugge supporters, few would back the decision to replace Hoefkens with Scott Parker knowing what they know now; the former Fulham boss lasting a matter of weeks before suffering the same fate.
Whether Hoefkens would have taken the West Brom job is anyone’s guess. The Baggies, in the end, had no need to step up their interest with Corberan sticking around for the long haul.
“I’ve had offers, yes,” Hoefkens tells Het Laaste Nieuws. “I’m ambitious. I don’t think my future has been damaged by my time at Club (Brugge).
“I’m certainly looking ahead. We’ll see what the future has in store for me.”
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
