Izzy Brown wants to show West Brom that he made the right decision to leave them and join Chelsea as a teen, though he says the Baggies have a special place in his heart.
The 22-year-old, now on loan at Luton, is hoping to be fit for tomorrow’s Championship clash at Kenilworth Road, after starring in Town’s 3-1 Carabao Cup victory over Ipswich for 66 minutes, until he was withdrawn with tight calves to a standing ovation.
Town manager Graeme Jones was planning to leave it late to see if Brown could make his Championship bow for the Hatters.
Peterborough-born Brown is hoping he can feature as he joined Albion as a 12-year-old, initially turning down Chelsea before switching to Stamford Bridge four years later.
“I can’t wait for the game at the weekend against West Brom,” said the ex-England youth international.
“Obviously, it’s my former club from when I was younger and I think it’ll be a good game and a great atmosphere.
“I always like playing against West Brom, even though many of the fans don’t really like me. It’s where I grew up, it’s where I learnt how to play football, so it’s always a special place in my heart.
“I feel like I can now go and show West Brom, if I get the chance, that I made the right decision to leave and that I’ve developed myself into a better player.”
“It wasn’t a difficult time (at West Brom), it was a great time, but I felt like the next step for me was to go to Chelsea. When you’re 16 and Chelsea come calling, it’s hard to say no.
“It’s the boyhood club that I supported, so it was in my mind that I would never turn that down again, because I turned it down when I was 12 to join West Brom, so when it came at 16 I couldn’t say no.
“You’re always going to get labelled and have expectations because you’re from Chelsea. I don’t really listen to what people say, I just focus on what I have to do. I’m going to work hard week in, week out and hopefully my performances on the pitch can show people why I’m a Chelsea player.”
