Grant enjoying 'fresh chance' back at West Brom

Karlan Grant signed a six-year contract when he moved from Huddersfield Town to West Bromwich Albion in October 2020

West Bromwich Albion forward Karlan Grant says he never thought his loan spell at Cardiff City last season was the end of his Baggies career and is enjoying his "fresh chance" at the club.

The 27-year-old's future at The Hawthorns was in some doubt at the start of last year with the Bluebirds keen to sign him permanently in the January window.

After that failed to materialise, Cardiff agreed a loan that summer for the 2023-24 campaign during which Grant played 39 Championship games and scored six goals.

But Grant has worked his way back into Carlos Corberan's West Brom plans this season, featuring in all nine of their Championship matches, starting eight of them.

"I had conversations with the gaffer and the club and it was best for me to leave at that time," Grant told BBC Radio WM, looking back to last year.

"No regrets. I played lots of games and was enjoying my football again and it's put me in good stead for this season."

A £15m signing from Huddersfield in October 2020, Grant's first six months at the club saw Slaven Bilic sacked two months in, to be replaced by Sam Allardyce who could not stop the slide to relegation from the Premier League.

But his first full season in 2021-22 brought 18 goals in 44 league matches, despite playing under two more managers as Valerien Ismael and Steve Bruce lasted six and eight months respectively.

Following Corberan's appointment in October 2022, Grant had to be more patient for regular starting opportunities for the rest of that season.

Those came during his stint in south Wales and Grant says he feels he made the most of his time there ahead of his return to the West Midlands.

"I wasn't really thinking it was my last game for Albion - I had a couple of years left on my contract," Grant said.

"Just playing games has put me in a good position for this season. I've been raring to go and I wanted to come back prove a point."

Corberan's attention to detail 'crazy'

Grant has become a regular again under Corberan, who he briefly worked with at Huddersfield, and scored his first Baggies goal in 19 months when he found the target in a 2-1 win at Stoke City on 24 August.

"I've had conversations with him and he's been happy with the work I've done," Grant said. "I've been working hard to stay in the team as much as I can.

"There's still a lot of games to go and hopefully I can continue my good form.

"The manager's been positive with me, it was never a case of 'I don't want you here' - everyone gets a fresh chance and he's given me an opportunity and I'm grateful.

"I want to be here and I'm enjoying it."

Grant says he is a "bit frustrated" to only have scored once so far but is "not stressing about it" and feels the work he is doing under Corberan is improving his game.

"He's different from any manager I've worked under - his attention to detail is crazy," Grant added.

"How we work on every opponent is completely different, every game tactically is different. We have a style of play which is really different."

Karlan Grant was Cardiff's joint top scorer in the Championship last season with six goals

Grant is also developing his positional acumen under Corberan, with the Baggies head coach mainly playing him on the left of an attacking three in midfield - a change from his days playing as a winger under Ismael and more as a central striker under Bruce.

"I'm playing more as a left forward which I'm really enjoying - I can go wide when I want to or go inside or make a run in behind," Grant said.

"Playing with Josh [Maja] when he comes deep, we need someone to go forward and that's something I'm happy to do.

"In those positions you've got to be able to go both ways and that's something I've been working on.

"I know players will do their homework on me, so if the line's there I'll 100% take it and get a cross in or a shot off either foot."

Winning run was 'unbelievable feeling'

The Baggies will resume the Championship schedule after the international break with a trip to newly-promoted Oxford United a week on Saturday.

The break has given the squad a chance to reflect on the last few games which have seen a slight stumble from Albion, with one point from their last three matches after five wins and a draw from their previous six.

"I think if you'd said we'd have 17 points at this point, we'd have been happy," Grant said.

"Obviously, the way we started we would've wanted more and we've only got one point from last three games - that's difficult for us.

"When we won that many games in a row it was an unbelievable feeling.

"We went into games knowing we'd win but that can change - you see that in the Championship.

"Teams that get promoted bounce back and win five, six, seven on the bounce and that's what we want to do."

Karlan Grant was talking to BBC Radio WM's Steve Hermon.

Karlan Grant says he is grateful for the chance to be back playing under Carlos Corberan at West Bromwich Albion again