Promotion first, contract second for Erik
ERIK Pieters admits that what his own personal future holds is on his mind - but his priority remains helping West Brom achieve promotion in the coming months, and the rest ought to take care of itself.
Pieters, who turns 35 this summer, has made himself a near indispensable member of the starting XI since Carlos Corberan was appointed in October having agreed a one-year deal with the club a month earlier. Naturally, that contract situation and similarly the same situation affecting others - is a hot topic as we approach the end of the season.
Albion supporters know that age is just a number of course; Gareth McAuley hadn’t kicked a Premier League football before arriving in 2011 at the age of 31, and he would leave seven years later with over 200 top flight appearances to his name, a fan favourite status intact.
That’s what left-back Pieters has made himself at The Hawthorns, operating alongside young captain Dara O’Shea; he has helped Albion to an incredible ten clean sheets in their last 11 matches on home soil, and that’s form which, should it continue, will go a long way to aiding Albion’s cause of finishing the regular season in the top six – that, despite the immediate uncertainty surrounding his future, remains at the top of Pieters’ to do list.
“I’m not going to lie, of course it’s on your mind, but the main key on my mind is to get promotion with West Brom,” Pieters said. “I just know that when we achieve that, my future will be okay. I think I showed myself that I am not slowing down despite my age, when many people have talked about my age. I think when I keep performing how I have done, I won’t be worrying and won’t be in the same situation as last year.
“The main key is not to get a big injury, everyone knows that, but if you play thinking like that, you’re going to get injured, I believe.
“The key for me is to keep performing how I have done, keep getting wins and clean sheets with West Brom and the main goal is promotion. If you get that, because I’ve played so many games, I won’t be surprised if I signed another contract here – but I won’t be in the same situation as I was last summer.”