Four of Albion’s scholars have signed their first professional contracts with the club.
Charlie Blackshields, Ryan Colesby, Adam Letlat and Abdul Abudu have all enjoyed successful seasons with the Under-18s, contributing to their FA Youth Cup quarter-final run, while simultaneously continuing to bolster the Baggies’ Premier League 2 efforts.
And their maiden pros - two-year contracts until June 2028 - come as just rewards for their endeavours.
Defensive midfielder Blackshields initially started out as a defender at the pre-academy phase, but has since used his industrious style in the centre of the park to become comfortable further up the field.
He’s also featured in multiple competitions, including PL2, Premier League Cup, Premier League International Cup and the National League Cup - most notably getting his name on the scoresheet in the PL Cup group stage against Luton Town, as well as the youngsters' penultimate league clash with Norwich City.
Throughout the campaign, the 17-year-old - who hails from Sutton Coldfield - has proved to be a reliable character within the group and recently wore the captain’s armband during the 21s’ trip to Arsenal.
Those experiences have fuelled Charlie’s appetite for further minutes in navy-blue-and-white, and he will hope the 19 appearances obtained at PL2 level can cement a regular place in the XI for the club's young pros during the 2026/27 season.
As for young Colesby - who can be relied upon to add calmness in the middle of the park - he’s continued his steady development with Leigh Downing’s U21s.
Hailing from Solihull, the left-footed central midfielder joined from Black Country rivals Wolves, where he developed between their U10 and U17 age groups.
The 17-year-old, in a similar way to Blackshields, has also had the opportunity to step up from the 18s and make his mark in various U21 matches - racking up 15 appearances this term.
Equally, though, Ryan has stamped his authority in his own age group - scoring at the beginning of Albion’s FA Youth Cup campaign during a 4-3 win over AFC Bournemouth at The Hawthorns - where he’ll aim to play further matches during his career, having now penned pro terms.
Attacking left-back Letlat has had a taster of what to expect during his two years of professional terms, already enjoying minutes as part of the U21 group throughout 2025/26.
A youth international for Algeria at U20 level after switching allegiances from Morocco, Adam is a relatively new member of the Baggies' academy having only been recruited for the U16s two years ago.
But since then, the defender has made a sizeable impact at every level and is someone who looks to get forward at any given opportunity. Albion's PL2 draw with Leeds United earlier in the season was a prime example of this, with the 17-year-old drilling home a late equaliser, prior to getting on the scoresheet in the Youth Cup win over Bournemouth.
And positive moments in the final third, as well as the essential duties in the back-line, will be at the core of London-born Letlat’s development as he extends his journey in B71 by two more years.
Centre-half Abudu was another late addition to the club's academy setup after joining the U15s group.
Born in Lagos, Nigeria, and raised in Wolverhampton, young Abdul is a robust, focused defender who aims to dominate physical duels and use his technical ability to kickstart attacking passages of play.
The 18-year-old has maintained steady progress across the U18 and U21 groups this term, featuring nine times for the latter in PL2 - predominantly in his favoured central-defensive position, including a start against Spanish outfit Valencia in the PL International Cup.
This experience exhibited Abdul's promise among the club's hopefuls, and his maiden professional deal will be an exciting opportunity for the defender to continue his impressive story at The Hawthorns.
Academy Manager Richard Stevens believes this group of players can be “culture-growers” for the new-look under-21s squad heading into 2026/27 and beyond, while insisting their attitudes are the “epitome" of what academy football should be about.
He said: “These lads are culture-growers and will be part of something that shows how you can work within the academy system.
“Some of them have been with us right from the off, a number have come into the programme later, but I believe all of them have the ability to set the standards for the years to come.
“Charlie has been in the programme since under-eight level, and it’s always nice to see those players through to their professional contracts. He’s been an outstanding academy player throughout his time at the club.
“When he started his scholarship, he had to be patient; others may have got opportunities before him, but certainly this year, he’s really thrived, put in high-level performances with the U18s, and really bedded into the 21s group by showing those levels again.
“Ryan loves his football, is a really smart player and has a high ceiling in the game.
"He has great ability on the ball and wants to connect the game. The reason why we’re a development programme is to give players a chance, and Ryan has benefitted from that with us.
“He was always somebody that a development programme would have to be patient with; he needed time to show his talent and grow. This football club has given him time and, over the next few years, we’ll start to see the fruits of that labour.
“What I like about these lads is that their journeys are different. Adam’s journey represents that, and he came from a talent pool in London where he couldn’t quite find the breakthrough into academy football as a schoolboy.
“From the moment he came in, we saw a humble, hard-working lad who's proved to be really honest and reliable in his football. He got called up for Morocco and Algeria at youth level, which has just added to his experiences and profile.
“When he’s with the 21s group over the next couple of years, he’s only going to get better and benefit from it too. He’s the sort of player who won’t waste any opportunities as he continues through his career.
“Abdul came out of a local grassroots programme at 16 and joined us nine years short of academy football.
“But we always felt he needed time because he had something worth sticking with, and he’s coped with coming into the programme late and shown great resilience.
“Now, he needs time to grow and develop. He’s had minutes with the 21s, especially some of those marquee matches like the one against Valencia, and Abdul deserves these two years to see where he can take himself.
“Every one of them is a pleasure to work with and I know they’re going to push each other to thrive. Somewhere in this group, there's a good chance of reaching a high stage within this industry.
“These lads are the epitome of what academy football should be all about. They’re hard-working and fully deserve this opportunity.”
