Rekeem Harper admits he has already learned one valuable lesson since his breakthrough last season.
The 19-year-old midfielder ended the summer uncertainty about his future by signing a new three-year contract with the Club and knuckling down to pre-season training under the guidance of Slaven Bilic.
And Harper is full of excitement and anticipation about the 2019-20 campaign having already absorbed a key lesson in his development.
Speaking to WBA TV, he said: “Last season was a big one for me personally. I’ll be honest, the only thing I cared about was me playing well.
“But you start to realise more and more that it’s definitely a team game and if you don’t play well, as long as the team wins that’s all that matters. It motivates you to play the game more consistently.
“There were times last season that were difficult for me when I didn’t play well but then I scored my first goal. It’s all part of the process of learning.
“Now I’m so excited for this season. Now I want more games, more goals, more assists and I want to become a mainstay in the team and get myself to the next level. And I want the team to get where we need to get to.”
Harper admits that the summer brought opportunities to move to clubs at home and abroad but it appears a ‘sit-down’ with the new Head Coach was the clincher in his decision to stick with the Baggies.
Rekeem added: “He said to me the main thing to me was how I can improve as a player and he is a manager who cares about the players.
"He is giving me an opportunity to get games and improve myself at this level. He explained to me how he can integrate me and help me push on this team.”
Watch his full interview with WBA TV above.