West Bromwich Albion's young midfielder Souleyman Mandey made his senior debut for the club in the final match of the season against Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough. The 20-year-old Austrian youth international came on as a late substitute, replacing Ousmane Diakite, and was given a taste of first-team football by manager James Morrison.
Who is Souleyman Mandey?
Mandey is a powerful and versatile midfielder who can play both in attacking roles and in a more defensive capacity. He arrived in the United Kingdom from Vienna, Austria, and initially spent time with Scottish Premiership side Rangers before joining West Brom in 2023. His development has been remarkable, especially considering he spoke no English when he first arrived in the country.
To gain experience, Mandey was sent on loan to non-league Stourbridge, where he had two separate stints. He has been a key player for Albion's PL2 side, scoring several goals in all competitions. He attributes his goalscoring ability to his early days in Austria, where he played as a striker. He said: "In Austria I used to be a striker, so it's something natural for me to be up there and scoring goals. I've still got that attacking instinct and they are helping me at the moment score goals."
Mandey is not the only footballer in his family. His younger brother, Ziyad, is a promising left-back at Ipswich Town, having moved from Wolverhampton Wanderers.
James Morrison's View
Manager James Morrison praised Mandey's work ethic and performance in the under-21s, stating that his debut was a reward for his hard work. Morrison said: "Credit to him, he has been working hard, performing in the 21s. I am happy with Souley to be fair. Now he has a taste of it he needs to come back in pre-season and show he has the desire to play men's football."
Mandey's debut adds to a successful season for Albion's youngsters, with Ollie Bostock and Harry Whitwell also making strides in the first team, and Eseosa Sule emerging in recent weeks.
