One that got away? Former West Brom prospect flying with hot streak - 'I think he will play at a higher level'
Former Albion hotshot Reyes Cleary is turning heads with razor-sharp form in League One with new club Barnsley.
Attacker Cleary, 21, is scoring, assisting and making headlines for the Reds, who are managed by former Villa midfielder Conor Hourihane.
Cleary, from Castle Vale in the east of Birmingham, was a talked-about talent while rising through the youth ranks at The Hawthorns having joined the club aged seven.
He made his Albion senior debut at 17 in the FA Cup at Brighton in January 2022 and played seven times for the first team in all, including three starts in Cup competitions.
Cleary, who most prominently plays on the left flank, rattled it countless goals - many of them stunners from range or individual efforts - for youth age groups right up to under-21 level. Some injury issues in the last couple of years before his exit last summer stunted a final opportunity to really progress. He had hailed Richard Beale, Chris Brunt and James Morrison as big influences.
He was never too far from other headlines, either, with European giants reported to be sniffing around his progress given the volume of goals at youth level. German giants Bayern Munich were one of the heavyweights once cited.
A failed loan at League Two Walsall - Cleary arrived late with the Saddlers already flying and struggled to get into the side - was followed by a spell in the National League with Hartlepool last term, in which he took off with flying form.
