The team has agreed to two-and-a-half-year contracts for towering central defender Mohammed, 18, and crafty forward Bostock, 17, to remain until June 2026.
When their scholarships with the Baggies came to an end, the two impressed under-21s head Richard Beale, under-18s boss Leigh Downing, and academy manager Richard Stevens. For their efforts, they were given their first taste of professional football.
Despite having taken distinct routes to land their first contract, both teenagers are from London. When Bostock was six years old, he enrolled in the club’s academy after his family relocated to Lichfield. Mohammed attended Peterborough United for a while before being signed by the Baggies’ youth team at the age of fifteen.
Bostock, who turned 17 this past month, has been a regular scholarship player for Beale’s under-21 team in Premier League 2. However, the season has been disappointing for the 6′ 5in defender Mohammed, who has not played since rupturing his ACL in his knee in September. Only a few months had passed since the strong stopper captured the attention of Carlos Corberan’s first team during a preseason friendly at Cheltenham.
“It’s well-deserved for Jamal and Ollie,” Academy boss Stevens stated. Both accounts disagree about their admission to the academy and the events of the previous two seasons.
“Jamal played for the under-21s as an under-17, did a fantastic job as a first-year scholar, and then had a frustrating injury back in September.” We felt he had a lot of promise and wanted to get him back on the pitch after seeing enough of him in his rookie season.
Since Ollie has been here since elementary school, these are significant anecdotes for a football academy. Being here prior to academy, having completed the foundation phase, and I’m thrilled that Ollie has dedicated himself to us, kept growing, and is now reaping the benefits of his perseverance.”
Bostock is an attacker with the ability to play both wide and centrally. He has led Wales’ under-17 team. He is currently away on youth international duty. He has made nine appearances for Beale’s under-21 team this season and scored in the under-18s’ impressive performance to tie 2-2 with Villa on Saturday.
Stevens underlined that the team wants to provide avenues for young players to advance through the ranks and attract attention.
Tom Fellows, a 20-year-old who joined the squad as an under-10, was mentioned by him as a “shining light” for the programme and its young players.
He stated, “As a club, we have to work hard to create an environment which provides opportunities for our young players. It’s a challenging industry.”
Tom Fellows is a prime illustration of that. He has spent a lot of time here, had to take risks when they presented themselves, and found things to be difficult at times. However, what’s happening right now is that all of that effort and hard work is starting to pay off. He is this academy’s bright spot.
“We will keep working hard with Jamal and Ollie and give them opportunities to grow into men who can achieve their goals at the Albion. They are also role models for the younger players at this football club.”
