Matheus Pereira sends message to Matty Phillips after emotional West Brom post | OneFootball

Former West Brom favourite Matheus Pereira has heaped praise on Matt Phillips after the winger confirmed he would be leaving Albion when his contract expires this summer.

The 33-year-old joined the Baggies in the summer of 2016, and he would go on to make almost 250 appearances for the club.

During that time, Phillips had experienced a lot, from the highs of promotion to relegation, but he continued to feature regularly when he was available.

The current campaign was a frustrating one for the wide man, as he missed a chunk during injury, but he still managed to turn out 26 times for Carlos Corberan’s side as they reached the play-offs.

However, it all ended in disappointment for Albion, as they lost over two legs against Southampton, with Phillips an unused substitute.

Matt Phillips set for West Brom exit

With his deal expiring, there were doubts about Phillips’ future, and the player took to Instagram to confirm that he would be moving on in an emotional message.

“On behalf of me and my family I would like to say a massive thank you for your support over the last 8 years Baggies, past and present players, managers, training ground staff , stadium staff, everyone in between!

“This club will always be in my heart and I wish it nothing but success moving forward! You have an unbelievable manager and a great group of lads that strive each day to do you all proud!”

With Corberan having a host of options in the final third, it perhaps wasn’t a surprise that this decision was made, and the Spaniard will be hoping for more backing in the summer window following Shilen Patel’s takeover.

Matheus Pereira reacts to Matt Phillips message

There were a host of current and former teammates who responded to Phillips’ message, and that included Pereira, with the Brazilian revealing it was a ‘pleasure’ to play alongside the former QPR man.

“What player, what a mate .. love u my bro , it’s been a pleasure to share moments with you.”

Pereira only spent two years at The Hawthorns alongside Phillips, but he made himself a real favourite thanks to his excellent displays.

The attacking midfielder starred as Albion won promotion under Slaven Bilic in the 2019/20 season, and he was one of few to emerge with credit the following season, with Pereira scoring 11 goals as the team were relegated from the top-flight.

He would then depart for Saudi side Al-Hilal, where he remains, although Pereira spent this season on loan at Cruzeiro. Nevertheless, he is still appreciated by many connected to West Brom.

West Brom’s summer plans

It’s set to be a busy few months at Albion, and Corberan has clearly started work on making decisions on who he should keep and where they need to strengthen.

After missing out on promotion, the aim will be to once again push for the play-offs at a minimum, and they will hope a slightly weaker Championship means that a top two finish is a possibility.

So, it will be interesting to see the activity that takes place, and the fans will no doubt wish Phillips well in the next step in his career.