Isaac Price has revealed new head coach Ryan Mason immediately gained complete respect from Albion’s first-team group.
The 34-year-old former Tottenham Hotspur and England midfielder joined the Baggies at the start of June and met the players for the first time on the opening day of pre-season later that month.
Mason and his men have been hard at work over the last month preparing for the 2025/26 campaign, which begins with a battle against Blackburn Rovers at The Hawthorns on Saturday, August 9 (ko 3pm).
The Northern Ireland international says the boss has delivered clear instructions from the moment he walked into the building, insisting he’s a guy the whole squad have instantly warmed to and been impressed by.
Price said: “Pre-season has been really good so far and the lads are enjoying it.
“Things are always a bit different when you come back to training and there’s a new gaffer in charge, but as soon as he came in he got his points across straight away. He’s a manager that you feel comfortable around.
“He’s come in straight away and told us what he wants from us and how he wants us to play. It’s been good. I feel like I’ve learned a lot since I joined Albion and I think the gaffer can help me improve even further.
“He’s a gaffer that lads will instantly warm to. I wasn’t here on the first day because I reported back a little bit later after being on international duty, but on the first day I was back we had a meeting and as soon as he started speaking, everyone was instantly engaged.
“He’s someone who has been around the game for a long time and he’s worked with top players. He was a player himself and he knows what it’s like to be in this position. Ultimately, he’s got the respect he deserves.
“We all had an idea of what he was going to be like before he came in, but I’ve personally been so impressed with the detail we’ve gone into and the repetitions out on the training pitch.
“The standards have had to be so high because that’s what he demands. As a player, that’s all you can ask for and that’s really exciting knowing you’re going to be working at that level every day.”
Isaac is gearing up for his first full season at The Hawthorns having signed from Belgian outfit Standard Liege in January.
The 21-year-old midfielder says he’s working as hard as he can every day in pre-season to ensure he’s giving himself the best possible opportunity to perform at his highest level this term.
Price added: “Personally I feel good, ready to go and really fit. I’ve never really been one to struggle with the running aspect of pre-season, but game intensity is sometimes difficult to get in pre-season.
“In the games that we’ve had, there have been some good moments and some moments that have shown us where we need to improve.
“There’s a lot I know I need to improve on, but that will come with time and further pre-season games. We’ve got both time and more matches coming up, so I’m confident that when the start of the season comes around, I’ll be fully ready to go.
“I want to be in the best position possible to be able to give everything, help the team as best as I can and improve as much as I can as an individual.
“We’ve only got a few weeks left of pre-season now and the excitement for the new campaign is building up really nicely. All of the lads can’t wait to get going.”
