From a season ticket holder in the Smethwick End, to sharing the hallowed Hawthorns turf of his heroes, a WBA TV production - 'Throstles Take Flight' - followed academy product and Albion supporter Cole Deeming during the second half of the 2025/26 season.
Raised in Halesowen and a member of the club's Academy since the age of six, the young midfielder has risen through the ranks - making his debut at under-18s level as a 15-year-old prior to stepping up to the U21s as a 16-year-old. But the dream breakthrough for the boyhood Baggie would come in August 2024 when he stepped off the bench for his senior bow against Fleetwood Town.
It was a moment to cherish for Deeming but, as he himself says in this feature-length video, "it's not always plain sailing from the academy to the first team" - which is why the central midfielder embraced the loan system over the 25/26 campaign, spending time at National League outfit Truro City before joining Sky Bet League Two side, Cheltenham Town.
And it was in Gloucestershire where the WBA TV cameras followed Deeming's loan journey. It began on the drive into training at the Robins' HQ, where boss Steve Cotterill provided his thoughts on Cole's progress and the necessary steps required for him to forge a career in the game. Filming concluded in the Cotswolds with a trip to the EV Charger Points Stadium, allowing Cole to talk through some poignant moments.
The feature then rolls onto matchday for Town's trip to Walsall, where Deeming's father, Neil, talks through the origins of their family's support for the Baggies, as well as his son's evolvement and maturing year venturing up and down the country in pursuit of his ambitions.
Club legend Chris Brunt was also in attendance at the Pallet-Track Bescot Stadium, watching on in his role as Head of Loans and Pathways & PDP Talent; Lead Technical Scout. The Northern Irishman comments on the importance of steps away from The Hawthorns in young players' development, such as Cole, and why more academy players need to grasp those opportunities.
Throughout the process, though, the loan journey has been about taking Deeming back to where he sat in the stands as a kid and where he wants to stand as a senior player - the Shrine. This is where the feature concludes following one last chat with the youngster about his childhood memories cheering on his team at The Hawthorns, and his determination to use last term's loan lessons to fulfil "the dream" of playing in navy-blue-and-white.
Watch the latest feature in the video below.
