Ryan Mason would 'love nothing more' for West Brom prospects to shine but 'doesn't give out gifts'

Mason has often acknowledged he is working with a small Albion squad during the first half of this season and it has, at times, been topped up with youngsters. Two keepers were listed late in August and early September, either side of the transfer window closing. Academy graduates Cole Deeming, now out on loan, Alex Williams, now injured, and Ollie Bostock, a squad regular, have been present on matchdays.

Questions have been asked, though, at why the head coach has opted for two goalkeepers on the bench as opposed to another outfield youngster. Against the Blades last Friday Albion were without the ill Tammer Bany on top of injury absentees Alex Mowatt, Toby Collyer and Jed Wallace, as Mason turned to academy shot-stopper Wallis to beef out the bench.

"No, not really, to be perfectly honest," Mason said when asked about naming an outfield youngster on the bench. "Nat (Phillips) was ill last week, Tammer (Bany) was ill, there's been a bit around.

"For young players, in my opinion, they have to earn the right. I don't agree with gifts for anything."

The highly-regarded central defender Noah DuPont, who like Wallis is a New Zealand youth international, travelled with Albion to QPR and was set for a place on the bench until a late change. DuPont, from Worcester, only turned 18 in October.

"Noah travelled with us the other day because he's been really good," Mason added.

"I think it's this time of the year when there's little bugs and viruses going around and Tammer had to pull out through illness. I think obviously that balancing act, do you risk bringing someone in that can also bring something else into the group? We've protected that, we've been quite tight with each other the last six days.

"We've travelled so much, I don't know how many miles we've done on the motorway but we've done a lot. We got home very late after the Southampton game."

Wales youth international winger Bostock, 18, is seen as the brightest talent in the current crop and made his senior debut as a late substitute in the defeat at Millwall in October.

On using more outfield youngsters on the bench he added: "That wasn't an option at the moment but the message for any young player is to try and push, try and compete. This is a club with a recent history of using academy players.

"I'd love nothing more than someone to really make an impact. I see some growth in some of the players. There's a couple of players out on loan as well that I know are doing well and growing. People like Ollie are in and around it, they're training every day and I can see improvement. We need to keep pushing that."

Deeming, who like Bostock turns 19 in the new year, has made three appearances on loan at National League basement boys Truro City, his first loan deal.

Baggies midfield colleague Harry Whitwell, 20, has shone out on his first loan at National League high-flyers Forest Green Rovers, where he has scored twice in 20 games and earned rave reviews.