Baggies Broadcast questions: Will Reyes Cleary get a chance at West Brom?

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Jonny Drury and Lewis Cox answer your questions on the latest episode of the Baggies Broadcast.

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00:00Reyes, Cleary have a future under Carlos Cobra.

00:04Now, Cleary, out on loan at Walsall, scored his first goal in the AFL Trophy last week, I believe, or the week before.

00:11Yeah. Does he have a future under Carlos?

00:14Interesting question, which I will duly hand over to you, Cox.

00:19Um, never say never.

00:24Um, this is his first loan, isn't it, at Walsall?

00:29And a couple of things, the first loans at any level, and I even mean, you know,

00:35had he gone to the second or third step of non-league, are not easy.

00:40They're seldom rip-roaringly successful.

00:44You know, I think that's fair to say.

00:48So it's sort of, as I wrote this week, I did a little bit of an update about Cleary,

00:52speaking to a member of the Walsall staff. It's a tough first loan.

00:58It's a delayed, delayed first loan due to injury.

01:02Spent much of the last 18 months out injured, really, some bad injuries.

01:07He's gone quite late into August, out on loan to a side like Walsall.

01:12You know, location, all that sort of perfect, you would say.

01:15Really looking to prove himself in the Football League for the first time.

01:17But he joined a side in Walsall that settled into the season very quickly,

01:21Sean, and have continued to shine.

01:23And, you know, Cleary hasn't been able to get into the side now.

01:27Is that down to him? Is that down to others? Flying?

01:30Yeah, probably a multitude of reasons there, isn't that?

01:33Why Cleary hasn't played regularly for Walsall?

01:35And that's not been ideal. You know, any club that sends someone out on loan,

01:40look, it's to go and get experience of playing regular games, minutes,

01:45just to feel what it's all about, that competitiveness.

01:49There's also a world where even going out on loan and not playing regularly helps.

01:53You know, he would have benefited being around that environment,

01:56that training environment. Walsall, absolutely flying.

01:59The atmosphere in that will be electric at the moment,

02:03amongst the fan base, amongst the squad.

02:06Yeah, he's not playing and he'll be frustrated by that,

02:08but he'll still be soaking in quite a lot from being there.

02:11However, where does it leave his Albion prospects?

02:14You know, we're talking about someone who's, you know, is it 20 turning 21?

02:17I think you'd have liked to have seen him,

02:22what he could do, I think, at club level this season.

02:27With a view to, can he then look towards League One and a step up loan?

02:32Obviously, the gulf between the divisions,

02:35certainly the top sides in the divisions and less or so sides is huge in these levels.

02:43And when we're talking about Albion being at the top end of the Championship

02:45and Cleary's prospects, at the moment, at the time of speaking,

02:50things can change, can't they? He could end up in the Walsall side very easily due to injuries

02:54and go on a run. But at the moment, does it look particularly rosy for him?

02:58I'm not so sure. To be honest,

03:03I've seen a lot of Cleary at 21's level where his talent for that level is

03:09otherworldly, really, for that youth level. But this is where it counts, isn't it?

03:13Out on loan here and you just want to see him play more to show what he can do.

03:16Obviously, Matt Sadler at Walsall hasn't seen enough for whatever reason

03:20or other players are doing too well. So where does it leave his Albion prospects?

03:24His prospects would be far better had he already clocked up a dozen,

03:2915 games, loads of starts, wouldn't they? Simple as that, really.

03:35I hope, did he sign a one-year deal plus an option?

03:38I'm trying to remember. I think it was a one plus an option.

03:40So as it stands, he's sort of in his final year of his contract.

03:44The club have an option on him, I believe. So should they see enough?

03:50Should they determine him to be worth another year?

03:52He will have next season as well. And let's see.

03:55But yeah, I hope he gets more of an opportunity to show it in the coming sort of weeks.

04:04If it stays as it is, perhaps Albion will have a call to make with him or Cleary

04:07and he can perhaps have a call to make in around January

04:11because they'll want him to play more just to show what he can do.

04:15I think it's right that he's out and on, you know, for a chance to progress and develop.

04:21But you know, you do learn even while not playing the football.

04:24But yeah, he needs to, for his Albion prospects, he needs to be playing more often.

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