Best Albion talent released

[BrianWade4]

Pub chat, so definitely fishing but ...

debate last night about the best players the Albion have released for not being good enough, that have gone on to succeed elsewhere. Ruled out those we sold who then excelled (eg Saunders, Zamora) or those that returned to their parent clubs after loans (eg Keown)

There was a claim that both Alan Shearer and Ian Wright had been on the books and released by Mullery but sounds dubious to me

Debate about Iwelumo - other than 'the' goal i thought he was poor for us but excelled at Charlton, Wolves, Burnley (although the Soctland miss was more remkiniscent of what I had seen)

We've all been going to games since the early 80s so there must be better examples - either our memories are shot or the Albion have the ability to retain talent better than I realised .....

 

[The Large One]

Ian Wright certainly was here.

 

[Life After Bobby]

Wasn't Iwelumo a loanee?

 

[sten_super]

Iwelumo turned down a contract off from the Albion though, didn't he? He was offered more money by Aachen if memory serves. So I'm not sure if that counts as being 'released'.

 

[BrianWade4]

you could be right - someone else said that

 

[durrington gull]

Pub chat, so definitely fishing but ...

debate last night about the best players the Albion have released for not being good enough, that have gone on to succeed elsewhere. Ruled out those we sold who then excelled (eg Saunders, Zamora) or those that returned to their parent clubs after loans (eg Keown)

There was a claim that both Alan Shearer and Ian Wright had been on the books and released by Mullery but sounds dubious to me

Debate about Iwelumo - other than 'the' goal i thought he was poor for us but excelled at Charlton, Wolves, Burnley (although the Soctland miss was more remkiniscent of what I had seen)

We've all been going to games since the early 80s so there must be better examples - either our memories are shot or the Albion have the ability to retain talent better than I realised .....

It's got to be Ian Wright, although i reckon we have a good track record of releasing players who don't go and make it. I can't think of any who have left and really bettered themselves (Iwelumo maybe)

 

[Mendoza]

Gareth Barry?

 

[Life After Bobby]

Don't think there is much in the way of players who have slipped through the fingers. In comparative terms I would say David Clarkson (also being mentioned in the Matt Edwards thread). Certainly was one of our more promising players in a team starting a downward turn, didn't understand at the time why he left. Did Barry Lloyd just not want his contract renewed?

He went back to Aus, ended up playing in the 2000 World Club Championships.

 

[Easy 10]

Didn't Roy Keane have a trial at the Albion ? I'm sure I heard from somewhere he came over from Ireland, but we wern't interested.

 

[Curious Orange]

Ian Wright was only ever a trialist with the Albion.

What was the name of the bloke who played for Tranmere after being released by the Albion... and scored shit-loads. Iain Moore?

 

[gripper stebson]

Didn't Roy Keane have a trial at the Albion ? I'm sure I heard from somewhere he came over from Ireland, but we wern't interested.

I remember it as...

We went to Ireland to scout Keane but came back with Paul McCarthy. I am probably wrong.

 

[Super Perry Digweed]

Didn't Roy Keane have a trial at the Albion ? I'm sure I heard from somewhere he came over from Ireland, but we wern't interested.

I think you are right - wasn't he deemed too "lightweight"?

 

[pishhead]

Ian Wright was only ever a trialist with the Albion.

What was the name of the bloke who played for Tranmere after being released by the Albion... and scored shit-loads. Iain Moore?

Ian Muir I think.

 

[Goring Gull]

South coast Rooney

 

[Gritt23]

Didn't Roy Keane have a trial at the Albion ? I'm sure I heard from somewhere he came over from Ireland, but we wern't interested.

Paul McCarthy was already at the club and recommended that we take a look at Keane in a trial, and we set one up. Then we told young Roy he had to pay his own travel to get to the trial, so he didn't come. Shortly afterwards he had a trial at Forest ....

 

[Curious Orange]

Ian Muir I think.

That is the chap. Thanks very much.

 

[Life After Bobby]

Ian Muir I think.

Yeah, that's a good call. Les Briley?

 

[Djmiles]

Gareth Barry?

Wasn't released though was he?

 

[Gritt23]

Ian Wright was only ever a trialist with the Albion.

To be fair to the Albion, I think the trial he had with us was a good 18 months before Palace took him on, so maybe he was too lightweight at the time, or just not showing enough at that age.

However, the other part of the story I heard was that the day of the trial, some stuff got nicked from the changing rooms, and the finger of suspicion pointed to the only black kid at the trial. Hmm, that wasn't very clever Albion.

That could of course be rubbish, as I think I heard that about 3rd hand, by the time it reached me.

 

[Munkfish]

Russell Martin.