Albion coach Michael Appleton believes the club’s academy stars are poised to make an impact on the Baggies first team.

Reserve and youth team boss Appleton reckons the club’s four-year-old academy will produce players for the senior side in the next two years.

Albion gained academy status in 2005 and former club midfielder Appleton has been involved almost from the outset. And he believes fans will soon begin to see the benefits.

“We’ve got players now who are emerging down the conveyor belt that started four years ago,” said Appleton.

“The boys who were here when we got things going are starting to come in as first-year scholars, so hopefully in the next few years we’ll start to see two or three lads every single year pushing for places in the first-team squad.

“This year’s first years are the first bunch we’ve had from a proper academy – the one we’ve had since we sorted out the dome and all the other things you need to be an academy.

“Over the next few years I’ll be disappointed if we don’t get two or three lads every year pushing for places in their first-team squad.”

Goalkeeper Luke Daniels and midfielders Joss Labadie and David Worrall have already emerged from the academy to land pro

contracts while the club have high hopes for Nigerian-born striker Lateef Elford-Alliyu.

And Appleton says all the club’s youngsters are being educated in the free-flowing brand of football favoured by manager Tony Mowbray.

“Even down to the nines, 10 and 11-year-olds the style of play is very similar,” he said. “All age groups like to play an expansive game. In possession they can just go and play and enjoy it.”