Adil Nabi: I'll return from India a better player
Albion strike prospect Adil Nabi says he will return to the club next month a better player and a different man.
The 21-year-old has been on loan at Delhi Dynamos in the Indian Super League this season.
Although he has only started one game so far, he did step off the bench to help Roberto Carlos' side draw 1-1 with Atletico de Kolkata on Saturday.
The result keeps Delhi level on points at the top of the table with FC Pune and FC Goa meaning they are still on course to reach the championship play-offs which finish with a final in Goa on December 20.
Despite being frustrated by lack of minutes, Nabi is convinced that the experience has enriched him as both a footballer and a person.
"I'm so pleased I took this opportunity because I can honestly say it has been fantastic," he said.
"It was frustrating to begin with because I had some visa difficulties which delayed my arrival in India and interrupted my preparations with the team.
"But the game time is coming now and I feel I am doing well and making an impact.
"We will see what the closing weeks will bring.
"If I am honest, the club and in fact the whole league have been a surprise in a good way.
"The standard is higher than I imagined it would be and the big names are here not just for a pay day - there is a deadly serious desire to win the championship, especially with the Dynamos.
"That was made clear from the moment I arrived. We want the title and anything else will be a disappointment.
"I don't know what will come next but I feel the Adil Nabi who returns to Albion will be a different footballer and a different man."
A four-man delegation from Albion, led by Director of Football Administration Richard Garlick, was in Delhi over the weekend to check on Adil's progress.
They had talks with Dynamos officials about strengthening the ties between the two clubs and also visited the grass roots programme Albion have been supporting for nearly two years.
Last week, the club announced Air India as the Club's Official Regional Airline Sponsor.
Nabi is the first player from a Premier League club to go on loan to the Indian Super League, which is in only its second season.
Having witnessed crowds over 60,000 strong, he has been left in no doubt that the league is one of the game's emerging markets.
Roberto Carlos manages the Dynamos and their marquee players include Florent Malouda and John Arne Riise.
"The preparation for games, the training, the support for the players .... it's all been superb," said Nabi.
"The training under Roberto Carlos has been a great influence too.
"It's good to hear different ideas and methods."
Nabi was named Albion's Young Player of the Year last season after scoring a hatful of goals for the Under-21s.
He came through the academy system alongside Saido Berahino, and just like his old striker partner, his future at the club is uncertain.
"I'm in the final year of my contract and the future is undecided," he said.
"What I am still hoping for most of all though is a first-team chance.
"That's what I will be fighting for when I return."
