Jimmy-Jay Morgan is relishing the opportunity to hit the ground running at his new home having spent the last two seasons “learning lessons” out on loan.
The 20-year-old attacker, who arrives at The Hawthorns following temporary stints with Gillingham and Peterborough United in Sky Bet League Two and Sky Bet League One respectively, has penned a four-year contract at West Bromwich Albion.
Morgan impressed for Posh in 2025/26, catching the eye with a number of stellar showings and notching 14 goals in all competitions.
The new signing is determined to demonstrate his ability at the Albion as quickly as possible, and insists he’ll work as hard as he possibly can to give himself the best opportunity to be a success in the second tier for James Morrison’s men.
‘JJ’ said: “I heard of the club’s interest in me about two weeks ago. To be honest, I didn’t think too much of it because of how early in the summer it is.
“The club moved things on really strongly and we managed to get it all agreed pretty quickly. I’m buzzing to be here. I’m really excited and it was a really easy choice.
“I’ve spent the last couple of years playing first-team football in League One and League Two. I’ve learned loads, especially the importance of becoming more robust and being relentless.
“Over the winter period where there are games every three or four days, there’s no time to sit around and focus on previous games. You just have to move on to the next one.
“I’ve tried to adapt and work as hard as I can in the gym to be able to cope with the physical aspects of first-team football. I don’t think I expressed myself enough on the pitch in my first loan. I took the shackles off last year and I had a much better year.
“I don’t want to get ahead of myself and say making the transition from League One to Championship football is going to be easy. I’m going to start by putting in a lot of hard work and by putting in 100 per cent every day on the training pitch.
“I’m really excited for the challenge. As players, we always want to test ourselves and this is a really exciting test. I’m confident I can come in and produce what I know I’m capable of if I work hard.
“The loan system has served me really well over the last few years, but the most beneficial thing for me this summer was finding a new home and somewhere where I could have a plan and excel.
“I’ve only been here for a very short time, but I already feel very comfortable and I can tell it’s a family club. I feel very happy. I want to help the club finish in a much higher position than last year. Individually, I want to play as much as I can, learn as much as I can and, hopefully, score plenty of goals.”
As previously mentioned, Morgan was a regular on the scoresheet for Peterborough last term and bagged five goals in his final eight appearances for the League One outfit.
He describes himself as a “poacher” who can use his body well to protect the ball and bring other team-mates into play higher up the pitch.
The forward added: “I managed to score 14 goals for Peterborough last season, but I don’t think any of them came from outside the box. Every single one of them was scored inside the box.
“I’d say I’m a bit of a poacher and I scored quite a few rebounds last year. I also scored a few headers – I’d like to think my movement is good from crosses. I like to try and pounce on loose balls in and around the box.
“In terms of my other positive attributes, I’d say the ability to use my body well is one. I win a lot of free-kicks by making sure I can get my body in the right place. I’d also highlight my pressing work. When my out-of-possession work is good, I usually have a really good game.”
The former Chelsea and Southampton youngster revealed conversations with head coach James Morrison, defender Alfie Gilchrist and ex-Baggies loanee Danny Imray played a huge role in convincing him The Hawthorns was the perfect destination.
Morgan said: “I spoke to the manager James Morrison, as well as Alfie Gilchrist and Danny Imray before coming here.
“My conversation with the manager was really good. He told me about the style of football he wants to play and how I’m going to fit into that. He also spoke about the work he wants to do with me to help bring out my best attributes.
“Alfie spoke about the size of the club and settling into a club of this size. I’m really close with Alfie.
“Danny Imray said amazing things about the place. I’ve heard nothing but positive things so far and I understand how big the club is. The size of the club is one of the main reasons why I wanted to join and I can’t wait to get going.”
