Isaac Price insists the squad are raring to kick the 2026/27 campaign off having enjoyed a really productive pre-season.
The Baggies are back in competitive action on Saturday evening, with James Morrison’s men heading up to Rotherham United for a first-round tie in the Carabao Cup (ko 5.30pm).
Price and his team-mates have been building up their fitness levels, developing playing styles and fine-tuning tactics over the last six weeks with the boss and his coaching staff.
The Northern Ireland international, who will be entering into his third term at The Hawthorns, believes the group are fully prepared for the challenges ahead and says the players are incredibly excited to get their teeth stuck into the August fixtures – starting at the AESSEAL New York Stadium this weekend.
Speaking to WBA TV, the 22-year-old said: “It’s definitely been a busy summer and pre-season. It’s been a really good pre-season for us. Portugal was a really good week of work, and we've been putting in lots of hard work back at base too.
“Everyone loves the gaffer. He’s been great since he took over and ever since I joined the club really. His level of knowledge is top and he’s someone I always looked up to when I was a kid.
“He’s got the points over that he wanted to in pre-season and the two new coaches, Gavin Strachan and Tony McMahon, have come in and helped a lot. They’ve told us what they want from the start, and we’ve been showing that in our pre-season matches.
“The team is very different now compared to when I joined the club. There’s a lot of very good players in the team now, just as there was when I arrived, but there are lots of new faces.
“The players that have come in this summer have settled straight away. We’ve got a good group of lads and everyone gets on, which is clear to see. The lads that have come in have done really well and they’ve got plenty of quality. That will really help us on the pitch.
“We’re definitely ready for the competitive matches to start. All the lads are looking pretty good and we’ve won a lot of games in pre-season. We just want the season to start now, and, on Saturday, it will do.
“As a player, you normally have three or four weeks of really intense work in pre-season, and then you’re dying for the games to start. We’ve got a few tough fixtures coming up at the start, but we’re more than ready.”
Price played in every single Sky Bet Championship game last season, scoring nine times.
The midfielder has been utilised in a number of different positions for the Albion since arriving from Belgian outfit Standard Liege in January 2025, including wing-back, central midfield, attacking midfielder and out wide.
Issac stressed he views his versatility as a major factor in helping him become an ever-present for the Baggies in the second tier in 2025/26, but admits he’ll be challenging himself to showcase a greater level of “consistency” this time around.
He added: “When I first joined, I guess I was a bit quieter compared to what I’m normally like. My personality has come out now, but it’s such an easy group to get on with. I feel like I’ve come along and shown my personality a lot more both on and off the pitch.
“Last season was tough for everyone and it didn’t go the way we wanted it to go. We got off to a good start, but then it went downhill. However, our character showed towards the end and we all stuck together.
“Personally, I got nine goals and three assists, which is my best return in a season as a professional. Sometimes you have to take the highs, even in a bad season.
“I’m the sort of player that wants to be involved in the game at all times. I want to do the dirty stuff as well – I don’t mind getting back and helping the defenders out.
“I’ve played in lots of different positions since I’ve been here, but I think that helps because if you can play in three or four different positions, you give yourself the best chance of playing every single week, which is what I want to do.
“I played every game last year and that’s exactly what I want to do. I don’t want to miss games. I’ve got the fitness and capability to play every game, now it’s just about having that consistency of performances.
“I had a good start to the previous year, but then I know that my displays dipped. The key to being a top player is maintaining that level of performance and that’s what I’ll be looking to do this year.”
