Former West Bromwich Albion player Carlton Palmer has praised manager Valerien Ismael for giving young player Taylor Gardner-Hickman his chance in the first team.
The 19-year-old started for the Baggies in their Carabao Cup match against Arsenal, before starting for the club in the Championship against Hull City.
As well as featuring for the first team this season, Gardner-Hickman has played five games for the Baggies U23 side in Premier League 2 and has scored one goal and registered two assists.
Have you been impressed with West Brom this season?
Yes
No
Palmer was full of praise for Ismael for giving the youngster his opportunity, saying to This is Futbol: “When you’ve got a player like that who’s been at the club since the age of six, it’s magnificent to see him come all the way through the ranks and be playing in the first team. It’s magnificent to see the manager’s prepared to do that, he’s proven that at Barnsley, he’s prepared to put the young players in.”
After relegation from the Premier League last term, West Brom turned to Ismael during the summer and he has got the Baggies off to a terrific start to the Championship campaign.
Losing only three matches in 19 games, West Brom currently sit third in the league table on 32 points and are just six points off an automatic promotion place, with Fulham currently occupying second and league leaders AFC Bournemouth eight points clear of the Baggies.