West Brom striker making a big impact after being granted a new chance

After netting 18 goals back in the 2021/2022 campaign, Grant fell out of favour during Corberan’s first campaign at the club and spent last season on loan at Cardiff.

He returned to Albion this summer with many predicting he may be set for another move away from the club.

However, after a number of departures and injuries in certain areas, Grant went into the season as Albion’s first choice left winger, after impressing his manager in pre-season.

And Corberan has explained how the opportunity being given to the returning forward is exactly what he deserves.

He explained: “The players put themselves in one place or another. Sometimes we expect one thing – that’s why I don’t believe in expectations – and then what happens is another.

“Many situations like that have happened. I remember in my mind a year ago I was thinking I’d play Semi Ajayi and Pieters as centre-backs, for different reasons the next year I was playing Bartley and Kipre. This is football, things can change quickly.

“What you need to do is open your eyes, watch how the players are progressing and give to them what they deserve. Grant...when we started pre-season here, we didn’t have a lot of left wingers.

“Mentally he wanted to stay here, he came to me in pre-season with the mentality showing that he wanted to make things for West Bromwich. He didn’t want time to just pass before he left the club.

“He wanted to be important. You start to see this, in the way he trains, the way he takes care of himself. After, the fact that we lost two important players in that position and we moved late in the market to cover, in this time he was using very well his opportunity.

“He has shown in the pitch what he has desired in his mind. Some have the desire, but can’t move it to the pitch.”

Across the course of the summer, Albion brought in Lewis Dobbin from Villa before the late permanent signing of last season’s loan star Mikey Johnston.

Johnston started on the bench last week against Portsmouth, with Grant retaining his place on the left following a superb opening to the season, which including a goal in the 2-1 win at Stoke City.

And asked whether the arrival of Johnston for £3m from Celtic has had an impact on Grant, Corberan explained: “Every player will be affected by this. When you know you have good players in this position, you know you need to play at your good level.

“I don’t think Grant is affected positively or negatively by Johnston, I think it’s about his desire. The best players in the world don’t need another one to be at their best. Rafa Nadal doesn’t have competition with anyone other than himself, and a desire to be the best.

“If you need someone to push you, if you need a coach to push you, if you need a team-mate to push you, it means you’re not strong enough to make an impact in football. Everything arrives from ourselves.”