Express & Star

West Brom boss Carlos Corberan: Headstrong keeper Josh Griffiths will continue to grow

Carlos Corberan threw his backing behind young Albion goalkeeper Josh Griffiths after his debut ended in disappointment on Wednesday.

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Griffiths, 21, will continue between the sticks after Corberan placed his faith in the academy graduate following high-profile errors from David Button.

Griffiths, who clocked up 113 appearances in three different loan spells prior to his Baggies bow, enjoyed an encouraging debut but was beaten by Ben Brereton Diaz’s last-minute free-kick that he should have kept out.

Corberan next takes his play-off chasing Albion to top-six rivals Watford on Monday evening and said Griffiths will remain in goal and continue his development.

“He will be playing the next games and he will be using these games to keep growing,” said Corberan.

“The first one can be the most challenging one – or not because every game is a challenge.

“Now it is a true he has done the debut today, he’s someone in the club from a child, he showed he’s a good work from the academy that I have right now, because I didn’t do the work.

“He and other people were doing the (development) job, now we need to keep working with him, because I know he’s someone that can help the team a lot right now and in the next years too.”

Corberan added of his decision to give Griffiths the nod: “I think he’s someone with a lot of personality, he was playing in the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the FA Cup with his previous loan.

“And I didn’t see any pressure at all, that’s why I was saying to play with him, because he has the maturity of someone aged 27 or 28 years old, not 21.

“But after we need to work with him to make him, like everyone, like myself.”