West Brom youngster Fenton Heard determined to grab chances when they come

Heard, 20, has seen a loan move to Rushall Olympic scuppered by a foot injury but is highly thought of in Albion circles, not least by head coach Carlos Corberan.

Previous attempts to get him out on a first serious loan - a work experience loan to Hednesford a couple of years ago came after the Pitmen were relegated - came to little as talks failed to progress.

But it had been a useful summer in attacking midfielder Heard's development. The Great Barr-born prospect has taken encouraging steps forward in the last 18 months or so and last January made his senior debut in the FA Cup against Aldershot at The Hawthorns. The summer was a first as a regular in Corberan's first-team training and it was a chance the diminutive playmaker looked to make the most of.

"Training with the first team in pre-season every day helps getting me sharp and playing that game against Fleetwood (in the EFL Cup) helped too," Heard told the Express & Star.