Slaven Bilic’s West Bromwich Albion have secured the signature of a young player very highly regarded at The Hawthorns.
A number of West Bromwich Albion fans have celebrated the announcement regarding Baggies academy ace Dara O’Shea having signed a new three and a half year contract at The Hawthorns (official WBA website).
The 20-year-old Irishman rose through the ranks at West Brom after making the move to England at 16, learning the ropes further with loans at Hereford and Exeter City, and is very highly rated at B71.
This season, O’Shea – said to have previously been on Bournemouth’s radar, according to the Express & Star – has been included by West Brom boss Slaven Bilic in 15 matchday squads (RTE) and made his first league appearance in the 1-1 draw against Brentford in December.
The young defender won West Brom’s Premier League Scholar of the Year Award for his performances in the 2016-17 season and has been a consistent performer for the Baggies’ youth sides, culminating in his promotion to the senior squad.
Here is what some Baggies fans made of the news on social media:
O’Shea was highly praised by Exeter boss Matt Taylor last March, as he told BBC Sport: “He could go all the way. If you’re 19 years old and playing regularly at centre-half or centre midfield in League Two, you’ve got a chance of making it all the way in the game.
“Since he’s come into the team he’s been exceptional for us. He’s still a young defender learning his game and we feel we’ve played a part in his development. He’s going to be a very good player and the international call-up is a bonus to top it off for him.”
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