Bio
Harry Whitwell put pen-to-paper on new a two-and-a-half-year deal in September 2026 after making a hugely impressive start to the 2026/27 campaign.
Whitwell made his senior breakthrough as an 18-year-old against Aldershot Town during an Emirates FA Cup game in January 2024.
The midfielder enhanced what was already a proud moment, having been introduced off the bench in B71 by providing an assist for Tom Fellows' maiden first-team goal for the Baggies.
Albion's faith in Harry's potential showed during the first year of his scholarship when the youngster was offered his first professional contract.
On his 17th birthday (November 16), Whitwell signed a deal which kept him at The Hawthorns until June 2025.
This came as a reward for his seamless transition to the club's U21s group, in which he became a regular starter at the beginning of the 2022/23 season and ended the term by winning the Baggies' prestigious Academy Player of the Year Award.
Harry is a central midfielder who grew up in Oxford prior to joining Albion's youth setup.
Having already played plenty of football for the club's U18s while he was still a schoolboy, Harry's ability compelled the academy coaching staff to hand him a chance in the PL2 squad - one which he grasped with both hands, producing a number of eye-catching displays in the middle of the park.
He scored his first goal for the PL2 side in the Premier League Cup - a powerful volley from the edge of the box against Watford on September 1, 2022.
Whitwell's rise through the ranks since joining as an 11-year-old hasn't gone without recognition from the international stage either. The promising midfielder has represented England up to U18s level and, notably, contributed to the Young Lions lifting the Costa Cálida Supercup in September 2022.
Harry has gone from strength to strength in recent seasons, becoming a vital member of the 21s squad, signing an extended contract until 2026 and gaining further senior minutes along the way - including a maiden first-team start against Fleetwood during Albion's Carabao Cup clash in August 2024, before making his Sky Bet Championship bow on the final day of the 24/25 season against Luton.
He joined National League side Forest Green Rovers on loan in August 2025, where he played 23 National League matches, scoring twice, in half a season on loan in Gloucestershire.
The winger was recalled in January 2026 and made another two Championship appearances before the end of the campaign.
And it worked out well for Whitwell, who came back for pre-season in a fantastic place. He scored and assisted away at Rotherham United in the Carabao Cup on the opening day of the season and would do the same two weeks later against Burnley in the second tier.
After this fast start, Harry signed a new two-and-a-half-year contract, committing his future to the Albion until the summer of 2029.