Brown might have made wrong choice – Albion youth boss

West Bromwich Albion youth boss Steve Hopcroft has told BBC West Midlands he believes Izzy Brown might have made the wrong choice by joining Chelsea three years ago.

Brown, 19, was snapped up by the Blues soon after making his senior debut for Albion.

He has made one first-team appearance for Chelsea, spent last season on loan at Dutch club Vitesse Arnhem, and is currently on loan at Rotherham.

“It (joining Chelsea) might turn out a correct decision. At the moment, it doesn’t look a great decision,” Hopcroft said.

“I absolutely loved Izzy Brown. I thought he was the best of all the players that have left here.

“He could have gone on to play a similar number of games as Saido Berahino. He could have made his 100th appearance for West Brom and be in a better position than he is now.

“For whatever reason he chose not to go down that route. He chose to go down another route with a bigger club.

“He made a decision and his parents made a decision that West Brom wasn’t for them at that time. I wasn’t party to it, but I know really good offers were made.”

The England Under-17 international became the second youngest-ever player to appear in the Premier League when he made his Albion debut aged 16 in May 2013.

Hopcroft still feels disappointed that his club were unable to hold on to Brown, who is regarded as one of the country’s brightest prospects.

“He was the one that got away for me,” said Hopcroft. “The manager at the time, Steve Clarke, was ready to make him an integral part of the team.

“We had a potential £20-30-40 million player that the fans would have loved, full of flair and skill. He could on take six players from his own half and score.

“I was bitterly disappointed, as was everyone in the academy. He’s still potentially a world-class player, the best we’ve lost, without a shadow of doubt.”