Kemar Roofe: I've waited a long time to play a senior match at The Hawthorns
Kemar Roofe can’t wait to finally play his first senior match at The Hawthorns this weekend – even though he won’t be in the blue and white stripes of the Baggies.
Walsall-born Roofe, who now plays for Championship leaders Leeds United, spent 16 years of his life at Albion, where he rose through the academy.
Roofe made 78 appearances for Albion's under-23s, but never played for the senior team and in 2015, he was sold to Oxford United in League Two.
A year later Leeds snapped him up in a £3million deal which Albion received £1.2m of in sell-on fees.
The 25-year-old is currently enjoying his best season for the Whites, and is top scorer of Marcelo Bielsa’s side with seven goals so far.
And he’s looking forward to stepping out on the Hawthorns pitch this weekend for the first time in a senior game.
“I was at West Brom from the age of six and I left when I was the age of 22-23, so I spent most of my life there,” said Roofe.
“I learnt a lot and had most of my football education there, which has played a major part in my career to date.
“It will be good to go back to The Hawthorns, I’ve waited a long time to play there in a professional match and this will be my first time.
“I’ve still got the majority of my family in the area, so I’m sure it will be packed at the ground with them.”
After a spell out injured, Roofe is on fire at the moment in front of goal, netting in each of his last three games.
“Last weekend it was good to get another goal, but of course the main thing is getting the three points, which we managed to get and it moved us back to the top of the table,” he said.
“It is always important to win games, if you win games you will stay at the top, but the position isn’t really important right now, it is all about where you are at the end of the season.”
Asked if it would be extra special to score against Albion in his first game against them, Roofe said: “It would be just another goal, it doesn’t matter who I score against or how they go in, it is just about helping the team to win."
Rather than blue and white, Roofe will be wearing Leeds' yellow third strip, brought out this week to avoid a clash with the Baggies.
