'James will know that' - West Brom's youthful recruitment drive assessed after flurry of business

Albion have been urged to strike the right balance in the squad built for James Morrison after a youthful recruitment drive kickstarted.

The Baggies’ first three new signings of the summer all checked in last week under the age of 23.

Forwards Barney Stewart, 22, and Jimmy-Jay Morgan, 20, and defender Carter Pinnington, 19, checked in as director of football operations Ian Pearce, technical director Dominic Price and head coach Morrison begin to shape the squad.

Albion have been working to reduce the club’s average age since the Shilen Patel-led Bilkul’s took over the oldest squad in the Championship in 2024. Former Baggies promotion hero Kevin Phillips has backed the strategy, though added the right blend must be found.

“With West Brom I think as long as you get the balance right within the squad, you bring a couple of youngsters in. They’re not coming in from Mickey Mouse clubs, are they?” Phillips told BestBettingSites.

“They’re coming in from big football clubs, and they’ve both had first-team experience, and they’ve both got qualities. And you need to surround them with experience, and James will know that.”

Significant work has seen the average age reduced by two years overall to the 10th youngest in the second tier last season at 25.7.

Since those calculations there has been the departure of experienced former captain Jed Wallace, 32 and deputy goalkeeper Joe Wildsmith, 30, while the futures of Karlan Grant, 28, and Josh Maja, 27, remain up in the air.

The first three recruits of the summer have brought the average down further but, while being encouraged by the young talents so far, EFL pundit Phillips stressed the need for a mix.

“I have no issues with that strategy, that policy,” he added. “You clearly can’t have a whole team of kids that young in the Championship, because that won’t work.

“But bringing those little bits of quality, from Morgan’s point of view, he’s an attacking midfielder, he’s been on loan at Peterborough, so he’s had a lot of first-team football, 34 games, 14 goals, so he’s got ability.

“And Pinnington as well, we all know Robert Page the Liverpool under-21 manager thinks very, very highly of him, 21 times for the under-21s last year.

“I think potentially they could turn out to be two really good signings, and I have no issue with that policy whatsoever.”

Scotland youth international Stewart, the eldest of the trio at 22, has under two years of professional experience behind him having been snapped up by then second-tier Falkirk in October 2024 after he was spotted playing university football in Edinburgh.

Phillips was speaking to BestBettingSite.co.uk as part of his weekly Championship column.