JFH adds to attack options in loan move for Castro
PORTUGUESE MIDFIELDER COME IN FROM WEST BROM
JIMMY Floyd Hasselbaink pulled another rabbit from the hat when Burton Albion added attacking midfield Quevin Castro on a season-long loan from West Bromwich Albion yesterday.
The 20-year-old Portuguese midfielder had not been rumoured by any of the many transfer speculation Twitter accounts.
He has already trained with his new team-mates and could be in line to appear at the Pirelli Stadium against Birmingham City tomorrow.
It is, as these sort of moves so often are, a signing which is all about potential.
Get them right – to a certain extent, get lucky – and the player, a largely unknown quantity, certainly in League One terms – can transform a season.
On other occasions, players find the transition too much and the move does not work out.
Castro comes highly rated, however. Vastly experienced West Brom manager Steve Bruce thinks a lot of him and has chosen the Brewers for the next stage in the player’s development.
Castro signed at The Hawthorns towards the end of the 2020-21 season following a successful trial period.
He made his senior debut against Arsenal in the Carabao Cup in August 2021 and has since made two Championship appearances from the bench.
Castro came through the youth system at Sporting Lisbon before moving to England and spending some time non-League football in East Anglia.
Prior to joining West Brom, the youngster had trials with several clubs, including Arsenal and Chelsea.
Described as a versatile attacker, his last appearance for the Baggies was against Swansea City in February.
The most successful moment of his career to date was for the club’s Under-23s.
They won the Premier League Cup final against Wolves in May, and he scored the first goal. Hasselbaink sees him as a winger. “He is an up-and-coming player who’s going to come and help us and play in a wide position,” said the Burton manager.
“He’s technically good and hopefully he can give us some more quality in the final third.
“I had two meetings with Steve Bruce, who was instrumental in us getting him.
“He had only good things to say about him. He said he is very highly rated at West Brom.
“We hope he can kick on his career here and go back to West Brom a much better player.”
Castro is, obviously, keen to get going at the Pirelli Stadium and show Brewers fans what he is all about.
“It’s a great feeling to be here and to get stuck into a new project,” he said.
“The gaffer got in contact, told me he liked my style of play and was really interested in me and I felt that this really suited me a lot.
“I’m hoping to get a lot of experience of men’s football and as much game time as possible – that’s what I need right now – and learn whatever I can from the gaffer, his team and my new team-mates around me.”