Tony Mowbray reveals 'wow' moment as Isaac Price makes impression in West Brom training
Tony Mowbray has taken an instant liking to what he's seen from West Bromwich Albion new signing Isaac Price in training - but the boss has indicated that the proof will be in the pudding when it comes to the young midfielder producing the same on The Hawthorns' turf. Price became the first signing of Mowbray's second era this week when the club secured his signing on a permanent basis from Belgian club Standard Liege.
Albion completed the move for the Northern Ireland international, who was on their list long before Mowbray walked through the door, this week and he'll go straight into the squad for the visit of Portsmouth (KO 3pm). The 21-year-old, who is an Everton academy product, is estimated to have cost the club around £2.5m.
Mowbray, who has a great track record of working with and developing young talents - at Sunderland he had Amad Diallo, and at Blackburn he had Harvey Elliott - is excited by the glimpses of what he's seen of Price's talent, all the while it's early days.
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"To be honest before I walked in he wasn't on my radar," Mowbray admitted. "From what I've watched and trained with him yesterday he looks a very talented young boy," Mowbray said. "He's athletic, he's lovely with the ball, the ball's easy for him, he can run all day, he's a decent size. He looks a good footballer to me.
"The proof of the pudding will be on the grass. He will be in the squad at the weekend, unlikely to start in my view because he's had one hour-and-a-half session with the group, but in that hour-and-a-half he looked very talented.
"You can see some footballers, the contact they make on the ball is very clean, he passes through lines, he runs, joins (in), he's competitive. He looks like a good player - your eye is telling you 'wow'. The cleanliness of his ball contact is really good.
"Sometimes you describe footballers as a bit scruffy, they give you energy and fight but the ball is a bit uncomfortable at times, but this kid the ball looks natural, really strikes through it and really crisp. He looks like he will be a really good signing. He's got every chance of breaking into the team if he can bring the quality and work ethic.
"Every club in the country wants talented young footballers to build. I go back to the model at Sunderland, 18 or 19-year-old, young, athletic footballers to grow and mature and teach them. Then all of a sudden three or four years later you have a team of 22 or 23-year-olds who can all run, all pass, all athletic.
"It's not a bad ploy to be signing 21 and 22-year-olds and putting them into your group. There's a lifespan of a footballer, it rolls on and before you know it you have a really athletic, talented team. If you put them into positions and drive them to play with emotion and passion you've got a chance of winning matches."
