Sawyers left the Albion six years ago. Now he’s back and even his mother is tweeting about how good these Baggies are.
“My mum’s on Twitter,” reveals Sawyers. “West Brom are tweeting about things and my mum’s replying. I don’t know what she’s doing.”
He scored his first goal since returning to Albion in the 4-2 win over Cardiff last weekend that put West Brom top of the Championship going into the international break.
“West Bromwich Albion means so much to me and my family. I owe the club a lot, especially the academy,” he admits.
Mum Diane raised Sawyers, 27, and his brother and sister as a single parent.
She has had a strong influence on her son and is proud of his non-football work that brought praise at former club Brentford.
Sawyers also drove up from London to Birmingham to deliver a carload of Brentford kit to Midlands club Continental Star, where his mother is a trustee.
When Sawyers was let go by West Brom after joining them as a nine-year-old, it was his secret wish to get back there. He built his career just down the Black Country road at Walsall and then Brentford, and was brought back to Albion by Slaven Bilic as a key player in the team he was shaping.
“At the training ground, or on the pitch, I’m constantly smiling, it’s amazing,” says Sawyers of his move to his West Brom roots.
“I get 15 family members a game. I’ve never had that before. This academy at West Brom, it grew me as a person as well as a footballer. It means so much to me and now I’m back.”
The amount West Brom paid Brentford was undisclosed, but Sawyers’ impact is a clear statement.
“I am always going to pester Sawyers to get better and better,” admits Bilic.
“But the way he played against Cardiff is what I want from him each week. Full stop.
Denne historien er fra October 13, 2019-utgaven av The Football League Paper.
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Denne historien er fra October 13, 2019-utgaven av The Football League Paper.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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