Toby Collyer completes £3m West Brom transfer and wants to prove himself
The midfielder has been confirmed as the busy Baggies’ latest recruit.
Toby Collyer is determined to show Albion fans his true worth after sealing a transfer from Manchester United worth an initial £3million.
Baggies boss James Morrison has got his man after strongly pushing the move for Collyer, 22, and Albion beat off Middlesbrough and Hull for his signature.
West Sussex-born Collyer has signed a four-year contract at The Hawthorns. The deal could rise to £7.6m with add-ons including promotion, European qualification and England honours. United have a 40 per cent sell-on fee.
The midfielder was at the Riverside Stadium on Saturday to watch his new colleagues fall to a 3-1 defeat to Boro in a first defeat of the new Championship season.
Collyer, who spent four years at Old Trafford, had travelled north east from Manchester to meet his new colleagues ahead of kick-off in Teesside and undergo final medical checks.
He was spotted by television cameras leaving the team bus as Albion’s squad arrived at Middlesbrough on Saturday morning.
Collyer, also formerly of Brighton, spent the first half of last season on loan at The Hawthorns but the spell was ruined by injury. He had a similarly-scuppered spell with Hull and is now looking to show his true self.
"I really enjoyed it, I enjoyed every second of it even though I didn't reach what I wanted to reach,” Collyer said of last season’s loan.
"That's another reason why I wanted to come back, show everyone what I'm about and how much of a great player I am.”
The new recruit added: "Coming on loan makes you grow up. Even though last season I didn't have the best loan spells I felt I grew up and became more of a man.
"Now's the right time to move on and really kick on.”
Collyer’s five-month spell in the Black Country last year totalled just 12 appearances - three starts - under Ryan Mason.
Current head coach Morrison was a first-team coach at that stage and the new signing revealed there was regular midfield training sessions and pep talks delivered by the Scot. Collyer has been a regular for United in pre-season.
"Excellent," he said of Morrison's management. "It doesn't need me to say that. He's proved himself already.
“Last season he was really good with me, he was always talking to me, egging me on to improve and giving me little ideas what to do to get better.
“We used to go through clips quite regularly as the midfield unit. He would always do drills outside on areas we could improve our game for matchday.”
Albion’s 100 per cent Championship record ended at the Riverside Stadium on Saturday, where the hosts prevailed 3-1 in a clash with some controversy, including two offside Boro goals.