West Bromwich Albion winger Matt Phillips has admitted that it was an easy decision for him to sign a new contract at the club.

The 28-year-old signed a new three-year deal with the Baggies last week, extending his stay at the Hawthorns until the summer of 2022.

The forward scored his second goal of the season on Saturday, as West Brom continued their unbeaten start in the Championship with a 3-2 win over Blackburn Rovers.

Phillips - who joined West Brom from Queens Park Rangers in 2016 - admitted that it was an easy decision for him to sign a new contract.

[ad_pod ]

"I’m happy here. I’m enjoying my football. We’ve signed a top manager. We’ve got great lads in the changing room," said Phillips, as quoted by the Express & Star.

"There was no real persuasion. I’ve enjoyed my years here. There have been lots of ups and downs but I like the club and I'm enjoying where it looks like the club is going."

Phillips was an important player for West Brom last season and scored five goals in 30 Championship appearances, despite spending a large part of the campaign on sidelines with injury problems.

However, the winger has admitted that it was a difficult time for him but insisted that he is determined to come back stronger this season.

"I’ve worked hard over the summer. The second half of last season was a tough time for me but I worked with the physios over the summer and feel I’m getting back to my sharpness and what I showed at the beginning of last season," he said.

"It was a tough time for me, mentally more than anything. I love playing football. I enjoyed the first half of the season. Injuries are part and parcel. I worked hard and got myself back."

The Verdict

Even though he struggled with injury problems, Phillips was still an important player for West Brom last season and the winger has made a very promising start to the new campaign under Slaven Bilic.

He seems very happy and settled at West Brom, so it's easy to understand why he signed a new deal. He's a fans' favourite at the Hawthorns too and I'm sure supporters will be very pleased that he's extending his stay at the club.

Phillips has looked very sharp so far this season and took his goal against Blackburn at the weekend really well.

He seems to like the direction the club is going under Bilic and the Croatian certainly seems to have been able to get the best out the forward so far.