Albion welcomed goalkeeper Max O’Leary to the club on Thursday.
The experienced stopper has signed a short-term contract until the end of the 2025/26 season, joining from fellow Sky Bet Championship side Bristol City.
Here are ten interesting things you might like to know about the 29-year-old.
Max was born in Bath on October 10 1996 and joined Bristol City’s academy at Under-11s.
O’Leary’s senior debut for the Robins came at The Hawthorns against West Bromwich Albion in a third-round tie in the FA Cup in January 2016. The then 19-year-old replaced Frank Fielding at half-time as the two teams played out a 2-2 draw, forcing a replay back at Ashton Gate. The stopper played the full 90 in the replay, a contest the Baggies won 1-0 thanks to a Salomon Rondon strike.
His first loan experience came for another team in the West Midlands. Max signed for Kidderminster Harriers in March 2016 until the end of that particular term, playing five matches in the National League.
O’Leary has also enjoyed loan spells with Bath City, Solihull Moors and Shrewsbury Town. He played 34 times for the Shrews in all competitions during the 2019/20 term, helping the club finish 15th in Sky Bet League One.
The new Albion man made a handful of appearances for Bristol City during the 2020/21 and 2021/22 seasons before finally going on to cement himself as the Robins’ No.1 in 2022.
Max played 37 times in the 2022/23 campaign. The stopper then had two years where he played in every single Bristol City fixture. He was an ever-present for the Robins during the 2023/24 and 2024/25 terms, appearing in 102 matches in all competitions in that period.
O’Leary has played five times for Bristol City this season. One of those games was the Robins’ 2-1 victory at The Hawthorns on Boxing Day.
Max is a Republic of Ireland international. He made his debut for his nation in June 2025, playing the full 90 minutes in a goalless draw against Luxembourg in a friendly.
The stopper has kept 37 Championship clean sheets in 157 appearances in the division.
Max will wear the No.1 shirt for West Bromwich Albion.
