'He can make magical things happen': Who is Ollie Bostock and why is West Brom's 18-year-old talent so highly rated

The outcome of the game at Millwall was anything but positive for the Baggies - but one upside from the tough afternoon in London came in the form of a debut for Albion's highly rated forward Ollie Bostock.

The 18-year-old, who has recently become a regular fixture in the Albion squad under Ryan Mason, came on a minute from the end of normal time for his senior debut for the club, following 12 years in the club's academy.

He made an instant impact, setting up a chance in the final moments of the game and despite a brief cameo he has already caught the eye of some Baggies fans who are calling for him to appear more often.

His debut came on the back of penning a new two year deal at the club - 18 months on from being handed his first professional contract at the age of just 17.

It has long been known that Bostock is one of the brightest talents among a pool of exciting Albion youngsters - and his recent inclusion in Mason's squads, and his debut at Millwall, underline his progression.

He has already grabbed headlines for the Albion youth sides - and has been around the first team set up for some time. Here is a look at Bostock's rise and what has been said about him:

Schoolboy to first team

Bostock was born in London - and became part of the Albion academy at the age of just six.

The forward, who can play anywhere across the front line rose through the academy ranks and by the time he had signed a scholarship, it was clear he had big potential.

At the age of just 16, he was already playing above his age group with the Albion under 18 side - and shortly after that he was thrust into the PL2 side, Albion's under 21 outfit.

By the end of the first year of his scholarship they had already tied him down to a two and a half year professional deal - which underlined how highly they rated the young forward.

The impression he was making at Albion was turning heads in the Welsh international set up as well - with Bostock having already been called up to a number of youth sides, captaining the under 16 and 17 team.

Just months after penning his first professional contract - he found himself in the first team fold. He wasn't named in squads, but last season he featured in pre-season for the then boss Carlos Corberan.

His development continued in October last year when he was called up to the under 19s squad and netted in a European qualifier with France, before captaining that age group in the recent September internationals.

He was again in the first team set up this season - and has now found himself in the squad for the last six games - with that debut coming at Millwall.

Youth Cup wondergoal

His first team debut only came last week - but he was grabbing big headlines back in January thanks to a stunning solo goal in Albion's FA Youth Cup win over Norwich City.

That reportedly saw Albion attracting interest from clubs enquiring about potentially loaning Bostock in the January transfer window - but nothing came of it.

He continued to score for the PL2 side - and since the summer he has been a part of the first team squad.

It didn't take long for him to impress Mason - as he rifled home a stunning goal in a victory over Port Vale earlier this summer.

'He can make magical things happen'

Albion fans may soon see more of Bostock's talents following his debut for Mason's side.

They have seen glimpses of it in clips from youth games - but those behind the scenes have regularly seen what Bostock can do.

One of those people is academy manager Richard Stevens, who had some glowing words for Bostock when he penned his second professional deal back in September.

And those words will no doubt excite Albion fans - eager to see what the young star can do.

He said: "It was important for us to ensure Ollie’s long-term future was at Albion. 

“We will make sure he gets everything he needs to develop and grow into the footballer we know he can become. 

“To progress in this industry, you have to have a strong mentality and Ollie challenges himself and is the type of footballer who is going to take risks.  

“He has got that mentality where he can take risks and make magical things happen, as we saw last year in the Youth Cup and in some of the 21s games. 

“His good moments are memorable and we hope to see more of those during his performances in the future.”