Toby Collyer believes James Morrison is the “perfect person” to bring the best out of him at the Baggies.
The 22-year-old midfielder, who spent the first half of the 2026/27 campaign on loan at The Hawthorns, rejoined the Albion on a four-year contract for an undisclosed fee from Premier League outfit Manchester United on X.
Collyer revealed there were several reasons why he was so keen to return, citing the size of the club, how much he enjoyed his temporary spell last season, a determination to showcase his best level, but, above all else, the opportunity to work with the head coach once again – a man who occupied the same position as Toby in his own playing days.
The new signing revealed Morrison spent plenty of time helping him develop between August 2025 and January 2026, offering advice, guidance and technical and tactical analysis of his displays.
Collyer insists there’s plenty of room for growth, and is adamant Albion is the place which will help him elevate his game to the next level.
He said: “To be honest, this move has been going on for the last month or so. My agent has been working really hard to get the deal done. I got the go-ahead over the last 24 hours and I travelled up to the hotel to meet all the lads on Friday evening.
“There were a few reasons why I was so keen to return. The size of the club is one of them. I also really enjoyed my time here on loan in the first half of last season. Another reason was the manager, James Morrison. He was really keen to have me back and that’s all you want in football – a manager who wants you and wants to see you do well.
“As I say, I really enjoyed every second of my loan spell here last season even though I didn’t reach the levels that I wanted to reach. That’s another reason why I wanted to come back here, to show everyone what I’m about and prove to everyone how much of a great player I am.
“Being out on loan makes you grow up. Even though I didn’t have the best loan spells last season, I felt like I grew up and became much more of a man. I felt as though now was the right time to move on and really kick on with my career and I’m glad that I’ll get the chance to do that here.
“I ended up following most of the Albion games in the second part of last season to be honest. I remember coming back with Hull and getting the run around.
“James Morrison has been excellent since taking charge. He doesn’t need me to say that because he’s proved himself already. He was really good to me last season. He was always talking to me and egging me on to improve and develop. He was always giving me little tips and we would go through clips quite regularly. He was always doing drills with us outside and looking for areas where we could improve and then take those improvements into a match situation.
“I think I’ve still got so much room for improvement and growth in my own game. Like I said before, I didn’t get the chance to showcase my ability due to a number of factors, but the gaffer is very calm and I think he’s the perfect person to get the best out of me.
“The quality of the group is really, really high, I watched the last two games against Newcastle United and Burnley and I thought they were two excellent performances. It’s a team full of energy and bright ideas, so I’m really excited to get started once again.
“I really want to play as many minutes as possible and help the team have a really successful season. There’s definitely a case of unfinished business and I want to show everyone my ability.”
