Kyle Bartley leads by example at West Brom – Carlos Corberan
Carlos Corberan sees defender Kyle Bartley as a leader by example among an experienced Albion dressing room.
Bartley, 31, is one of the club’s longest-serving players and was recalled to the Baggies XI following suspension for Tuesday’s key 1-0 win over Blackpool.
The centre-half was signed by Darren Moore in 2018 and has played under seven permanent managers or head coaches at The Hawthorns.
The new head coach has been impressed by what he has seen of Bartley since the duo began working together almost two weeks ago.
“I know he has had a lot of importance in this club, he was involved in the latest success of the club,” Corberan said. “But I always like to evaluate the player from the moment that I am working with the player,” Corneran said. “In the time I am working with him I was watching one player that was leading the team by example – and that’s the key.
“When the important players lead the team by example (then) everyone is going to follow.
“This can be different in leading teams in different ways. I watched a player leading the team by example and a player with the right mentality, that’s why he was in the first XI.
“And for me I saw in the previous game one of the best performances of the year.
“I watched a player with the right concentration and mentality to face the situation.”
It has been an at-times difficult campaign for Bartley, including a poor display against Blues after which he was frozen out.
He was recalled by Richard Beale for the contest at Millwall, where he played well but was sent off before Albion lost late on.
Bartley has made 152 appearances for Albion since checking in from Swansea in 2018. The two-year contract extension he penned in 2021 expires next summer.
Corberan believes there are enough experienced players who have been at the club for a suitable length of time to ‘know Albion’s culture and ambitions’.
“In this club and team there is players who have had enough experience here, in the club to know it well enough, to know the fans, to know the culture and ambitions of the club,” he added.
“Of course when you have this experience you know how big the club is that you represent, how demanding it is to play here.
“It is important these type of players keep giving the right answer and the new players that add understand the culture and adapt fast to the values of the club, to show it on the pitch.”
