West Brom's Samuel Iling-Junior addresses position debate with 'comfortable' suggestion
Albion wing star Samuel Iling-Junior insists he is comfortable on either flank as he sets about filling the boots vacated by Tom Fellows.
Iling-Junior, who turned 22 last week, agreed a season-long loan at The Hawthorns from Villa on deadline day in a bid for regular football.
The left-footed winger has made a positive start for Albion having netted a stunning solo goal on his first start in the 1-1 draw with Leicester before playing a key role in the 1-0 win at Norwich.
The winger's loan in the wake of Fellows' £10million sale to Southampton created some discourse among supporters around whether Iling-Junior was suited to stepping in to replace the academy graduate favourite.
"I've been waiting to be asked this question!" Iling-Junior smiled when asked about his favourite position. "I just like playing football. That's my best answer.
"As long as I can perform in each position at a high level, then I'm happy.
"It's about learning to perform in that position, not just playing - but performing. Being a good player in each position I play."
Iling-Junior, from north London and a youth product of Chelsea, was a winger in his formative years, mostly on the left flank.
But he made the bold move to Italy and Juventus as a 16-year-old and spent time in their youth and senior set-up on the right side. Opportunities would later come at wing-back in different formations.
The former England under-21 team-mate of Fellows' returned to England with Villa in 2024 before loans at Bologna - mostly on the right flank - and Middlesbrough, which brought games at left-back, followed.
"I would say I'm more of a traditional winger on the left. I would just go to the byline and cross it," he added.
"But then it's also about developing with the game so that's where I can play on the right and come inside.
"On the left I can still come inside on the pitch. You should be comfortable doing both, whether it's on the left or on the right."
"As I got older into the first team, I played wing-back, and then that would transition into the left-back role because you're doing a bit of both, and then that helped me at Middlesbrough (on loan last season) to be comfortable there.
"At Bologna I was there as a right winger, so that's where I'm comfortable as well."
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