David Button should not be considered as Sam Johnstone's direct replacement at West Bromwich Albion next season, Give Me Sport's Midlands correspondent Josh Holland said whilst speaking to Football League World.

The Baggies look set to lose their England international stopper this summer, with his contract set to expire and several Premier League clubs taking an interest.

That means that someone will have to step in to fill Johnstone's boots in-between the sticks at The Hawthorns - that replacement though could come internally.

 

 

 

 

Per a report from the Express & Star this week, Albion boss Steve Bruce is set to let the club's current goalkeepers battle it out for the number one jersey - those being David Button, Alex Palmer and Josh Griffiths.

Button is considerably more experienced than the latter pair at 33 years of age and with plenty of Championship matches under his belt - Holland however believes that Bruce should look elsewhere it comes to West Brom's next first-choice goalkeeper.

"I don't think David Button - no disrespect but I don't think he's first-choice level goalkeeper," Holland said.

"He's not been first-choice since he was at Brentford and that was a while ago.

"I do think that they'd be more fitted to go and get a goalkeeper who maybe has got a few more years ahead of him who they can help build a team around, who's got potential and they can sell on for more rather than have a 33-year-old goalkeeper who has only played 10 times this season for Albion."

The Verdict

Whoever West Brom have in net next season, it's likely to be a major downgrade from Johnstone.

The 29-year-old is a quality operator between the sticks and he deserves to be a Premier League player - the other options at The Hawthorns though to replace him are much of a muchness.

Button is experienced but doesn't have much in the way of game-time in recent years, Palmer hasn't played due to being third choice whilst Griffiths has had a good loan spell at Lincoln City but is still inexperienced.

Bruce's stance on not signing a goalkeeper may change in the coming weeks and months, but for now it looks like Button could be starting the 2022-23 campaign as a starter.