Comment: New Tom Fellows contract key for West Brom on two fronts

Given past experiences, where Albion's blossoming young stars have been picked off before making a real impact at The Hawthorns, there was a real worry that Fellows could join that list.

As it transpired, the flying winger, who has this season burst onto the Baggies scene after cutting his teeth on loan at League Two strugglers Crawley Town, penned a new three and a half year deal last week, to quell any concerns of a departure on a free transfer in the summer.

The comments from the youngster after penning his new deal were particularly refreshing. He outlined that Albion was the best place for his development, where he can gain regular minutes and valuable experience in the Championship, or hopefully, the Premier League next season.

To compliment this, Carlos Corberan's comments following the news underlined how much Fellows is valued at the club.

West Brom starlet Tom Fellows pens new long-term contract

For Albion fans, they're just happy to see Fellows tied down and are excited to see him continue to give Championship full backs the run around.

His strikes in recent wins over Aldershot and Blackburn have whet the appetite and we're all keen to see what the 20-year-old can do between now and May.

For those behind the scenes at the club, the news of Fellows' contract extension bring other positives.

As I have referenced already, the fear around a potential loss of Fellows stemmed from the list of young and promising talents that Albion have lost over the years.

It is well publicised that Aston Villa have plucked a number of gems from Albion in the past, and there are others who, had they stayed at The Hawthorns, may have been afforded more game time and a different career path.

And there are situations, and this isn't just restricted to academy graduates, where Albion have missed out on receiving a fee for a player.

The most recent case that sticks in the mind is goalkeeper Sam Johnstone, who, if under contract, Albion would have commanded a reasonable fee. But because his deal was ending, he left on a free for Crystal Palace.

So the club's hierarchy and those in the background will be happy that for the time being, that certainly won't be the case for young Fellows.

If he continues to put in eye catching displays like he has been doing in the Championship, his stock will continue to rise.

And the fact he is under contract means that if clubs do come circling which may well be the case again in the summer, certainly if Albion are in the Championship, then the club can command a pretty healthy fee.

It is clear to see the talent he has, and his unpredictable way of being able to take on defenders while using both feet with equal confidence is an asset you don't see in an awful lot of wide players.

His rapid progress has been underlined by the presence of England under 21 boss Lee Carsley for a recent fixture at The Hawthorns.

And even on Sunday in the Black Country derby he looked sharp and dangerous against experienced Premier League full backs, setting up a couple of key openings in the second half.

No one knows what is going to happen in the future, but as I referenced on this week's Baggies Broadcast I'd be surprised if Fellows was at Albion for another three and a half years, if carries on performing like he has been.