West Brom confirm contract extension as they bring new defender in

Fenton Heard has signed a new contract with West Brom ahead of the new season, the club have confirmed - and they've also added Muhamed Diomande to their PL2 ranks. Heard made his senior debut last season in the 4-1 win over Aldershot Town in the FA Cup and caught the eye.

Out of contract, he has followed the likes of Reyes Cleary, Ted Cann and a host of other academy talents in signing up for the new season.

Carlos Corberan said of his performance against the Shots in January: “He’s a player I wanted to see, to follow how much they are growing. Last year, we saw something in pre-season but this year he has grown a lot as a player, with a lot of maturity and game understanding. He has showed a lot of personality too, this is a challenge when you make your first start with the first team, and I was very pleased with how I saw him competing.

“For me, when the players have a game understanding and the quality to do what they think they can do, normally they play well. They understand the spaces, they understand the timing of the actions. They now when to drive, when to pass, they know when to drop and to receive, when the ball is under press, he has this game understanding.

“You don’t need to explain things to him and to explain these things tactically are difficult. Sometimes they can be difficult to take. For me, he showed exactly what he is on the pitch, and I liked to see this.”

Defender Diomande, who is Italian born, has signed a two-year contract with the Baggies.