“Playing at The Hawthorns is like a dream come true”: West Bromwich Albion under-21s’ Akeel Higgins on playing for his hometown club
West Bromwich Albion under-21s winger Akeel Higgins has expressed just how much he feels like it’s “a dream come true” playing at The Hawthorns.
Higgins and the Young Baggies were on location for a recent home tie against Norwich, where the Canaries were 2-1 victors in a game that saw the home side suffer late heartbreak, courtesy of a last-minute winner.
The game, played on Monday, March 20, was one of three home Premier League 2 Division 2 matches to be played at the stadium so far this season.
It’s been a campaign that has seen the seventeen-year-old break into the highest level of youth football at the club, he also spoke on how it feels to wear the shirt of his boyhood club:
“I used to drive past the stadium every day on the way to school: Higgins said, “It’s a privilege to play here, I really enjoy it.
“It’s also a privilege to play for the club that I’ve grown up around, it is my boyhood club, I’ve been here since under-13s so I’ve come up through the YDP (youth development program).”
“I’ve grown as a character in the years I’ve been at the club, so thank you to the staff for helping me grow into a better player.”
“I’m 17 and I’m playing with the 21s, so I feel like it’s a privilege to wear a badge that is very close to my heart. Being in and around the club since I was young I knew the DNA, and what the club and the first team manager want me to be.”
“I had a good start to the season, which gave me confidence, and it earned me a call up to here: Higgins later added.
“I’m using the 18’s games to build even more confidence and to improve my craft because I’ve come into a professional environment now where I can play against anyone from any age group.”
So far this season, the winger has amassed six goal contributions in 11 Premier League 2 games (seven starts), on top of scoring three times for the under-18’s, and three posting three contributions in five cup appearances.
With numbers like those, first-team manager Carlos Corberán will certainly have an eye on the youngster. Two of his teammates, Reyes Cleary and Rico Richards, have already appeared for West Brom in the Championship this season.
“21’s football is one step from the first team, so he’s watching or getting reports from all our games, so as an attacker, goal contributions would be good to get noticed: Higgins said.
“Out of possession, he likes his players to press, it’s what is said around the building and you can see it from how the first team play.”
When asked how close of an eye Corberán keeps on Richard Beale’s team, Higgins revealed: “We’re around the first team a lot.”
“Ahead of a match day we’ll help them with their shape and he’ll tell us what he wants us to do to help the first team. Doing things like this helps us understand what he wants from us, and from there we can then implement it into our 21’s games.”
A strong end to the season would certainly help to attract Corberán. As for what else the 17-year-old is aiming for this season, getting the team into the playoffs remains the priority.
Currently housed 6th in the second division of category one football, and only outside of the playoffs by goal difference, Beale’s side have a game in hand on the teams around them.
On walking away from The Hawthorns empty-handed, Higgins stated: “It’s heartbreaking to lose a game like that, we didn’t really deserve to lose.
“It was a very close match, so going the way it did wasn’t the best feeling, but it’s just part of football.”
Higgins also batted away any chance of the torrential weather playing a factor in the end result: “We have to play in that weather a lot, and we train in it, so I wouldn’t use that as an excuse.”
Norwich are another team who are likely to be involved in the promotion playoff at the end of the season, with the winger expressing a desire to play Monday’s opponents again: “With the way it ended today, it’ll be good to get a good result against them again.
“It was very unfortunate, so it’ll be great to go and get a result against them, should we meet again.”