Callum Styles Steps Up as Leader at West Bromwich Albion

Callum Styles has stepped into the new season at West Bromwich Albion with more than just his boots laced. He’s carrying extra responsibility too.

The 26-year-old left-back finds himself among the senior figures in a reshaped Albion dressing room after a summer that tilted the squad firmly towards youth. Seven of the new arrivals at The Hawthorns are 23 or under. Several thirty-somethings have gone, joined out the door by Karlan Grant and Kristian Bielik, both 28, and 27-year-old Josh Maja.

In that context, 26 suddenly feels a lot older.

"I think that's natural [to step into leadership] when you've played a lot of games in the Championship and you're getting older season by season," Styles told BBC Radio WM, acknowledging the shift in his role.

The turnover has left a core of players who know the division and the club being asked to do more than just perform on a Saturday. Styles says that group, those who were in the squad last year, now see it as their duty to set the tone.

"Quite a few of us that were here last year feel like it's our role to then get the new lads adjusted to the league, to the team and to the physicality as quickly as possible," he explained.

That means leading by example first, talking second.

"We've got to show that through us working hard ourselves and then obviously helping them off the pitch."

At a club banking on energy and potential, Styles’ voice and experience will help decide whether this youthful rebuild finds its feet in the Championship or learns its lessons the hard way.