Dauda Iddrisa, Albion’s Italy Under-17 international, has signed his first professional deal with the club.
The defensive midfielder, who can also play centre back, has signed a two-and-a-half year contract that will keep him at The Hawthorns until June 2027.
Iddrisa has had a rollercoaster 2024/25 season, signing scholarship terms last summer, travelling to Slovenia with Richard Beale’s Under-21 squad, and fulfilling a lifelong desire against Fleetwood Town in August.
At the age of 16, the kid came off the bench to make his senior debut for the club in a Carabao Cup match and has since impressed in the Baggies’ junior structure and abroad with his country.
Iddrisa has committed his future with the Baggies until June 2027.
So much so that the tough-tackling midfielder, now 17, has been rewarded with a professional contract after easily adapting to the demands of higher-level football in the PL2 side, as well as playing an important role in the U18s’ eye-catching run to the FA Youth Cup quarter-finals.
Iddrisa follows in the footsteps of teammates Ollie Bostock and Cole Deeming by dedicating his future to the club before the completion of his scholarship term, which Academy Manager Richard Stevens says demonstrates the young Italian’s perseverance.
Having joined the club at the age of ten, the West Bromwich native has grown up around the Baggies‘ ethos, and its youth manager Stevens believes the young midfielder may reach his “ceiling” with future opportunities in the first squad.
In August 2024, Iddrisa made his senior debut. Stevens describes him as a “wonderful boy” who enjoys football and has been with the club for quite some time.
“I believe it is critical for the club to attract young, exciting players who are devoted to its future because a lot of work is done within the academy system, and the ultimate goal is to get guys out at the other end of it.
“That hasn’t always been the case, but as Ollie (Bostock) and Cole (Deeming) have demonstrated, they committed to Albion and have had wonderful growth opportunities this year, and Iddrisa is the same.
“He’s been injured for a few years and has had to demonstrate a lot of grit and resilience. But his commitment to us demonstrates that this club is headed in the right direction.
“This deal can take Iddrisa to the next level of his career, and I believe it will be exciting for all of us because his performances, as well as the platform provided by this football club, have helped him to improve, resulting in recognition by the Italian FA.
Iddrisa is a frequent starter for the Italy U17 team. He has demonstrated his quality. So he’s had incredible international football exposure, but Iddrisa isn’t interested in the glitter.
“We have a genuinely humble player who takes everything in stride, and like all young players, he needs an opportunity, which I believe this football club can provide him.
“We have a manager who has stated that he will play young players, but only if he believes they have the talent, therefore they must demonstrate their worth.
“Iddrisa‘s ceiling is whatever he wants it to be and, linked in with some good timing at the club, I believe this is where his opportunity will arise.”
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