'It always has been': Josh Griffiths' journey to becoming West Brom No.1
Academy graduate and boyhood Baggie Josh Griffiths is as close to Albion No.1 as he has ever been.
Griffiths has been with the club since the age of 10 and, now 23, feels a fully-established part of the first-team set-up.
He turns 24 in September but that is no age for a goalkeeper. Griffiths is a unique case, in many ways, in that he he has 19 first-team appearances for Albion but, despite his tender years, 165 senior games on his resume.
Griffiths finished last season between the sticks under, briefly, Tony Mowbray and then interim James Morrison. After a productive loan at Bristol Rovers he played the final six games starting at Bristol City - where a late Robins winner squirmed under his body - and the season ended with disappointment.
As things are here now and now, as Albion wrap up their week's training camp in Austria's Burgenland region, Griffiths could be seen as the No.1.
He would not admit as much, and neither probably will head coach Ryan Mason when he is asked. Out of respect, Griffiths would stress is ready to battle the main role out with Joe Wildsmith, the club's other senior goalkeeper. The more experienced Wildsmith, 29, was given his shot by Mowbray after the sale of Alex Palmer to Ipswich in January, but a change came after a couple of errors.
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Asked about how he sees the role, Griffiths told the Express & Star: "It's definitely the closest I've ever been personally yeah, I'm not against admitting that.
