West Brom travelled to Nottingham Forest on the opening day of the 2019/20 season, in what was Slaven Bilic’s first game in charge of the club.
The Baggies ran out 2-1 winners at the City Ground, with Kyle Edwards and Matt Phillips scoring goals in the first half to secure victory.
Albion’s squad has changed a lot in the four years since their last promotion-winning campaign, so where are the starters from the opening-day victory now?
Sam Johnstone
The 30-year-old stayed at West Brom until the end of 2021/22 when he left the club to join Premier League side Crystal Palace on a free transfer.
In total, the English’keeper made 167 appearances for the Baggies in his four-year stint at the club.
Nathan Ferguson
The game against Nottingham Forest was Ferguson’s professional debut. He went on to feature 21 times for the club that season, and like Johnstone rejected a new deal and left the club to sign for Crystal Palace.
He’s suffered multiple injuries since his departure and has only featured once for Palace in three years.
Semi Ajayi
Like Ferguson, the opening day of 19/20 was Semi Ajayi’s debut for the club after signing from Rotherham for an undisclosed fee.
Fast forward to today, the 29-year-old has made 129 apps for the club, scoring ten times, becoming an integral part of the Baggies squad under Carlos Corberan.
Kyle Bartley
Central defender Kyle Bartley joined West Brom from fellow Championship side Swansea City in 2018 for an undisclosed fee.
Since his arrival, he’s played 147 times for the club and like Ajayi, scored ten goals. The 32-year-old signed a new deal that will see him stay at The Hawthorns until the end of the 2023/24 campaign.
Kieran Gibbs
The now 33-year-old made 93 appearances for Albion, before leaving the club in 2021 for Inter Miami.
The left-back featured 27 times in the USA before announcing his retirement in February of this year. Gibbs is now part of the Inter Miami broadcasting team.
Jake Livermore
Club captain Jake Livermore announced in May that he would be leaving The Hawthorns after six years, and making 206 appearances for the club.
Livermore has since signed a one-year deal with fellow Championship side Watford, agreeing to play under former boss Valerien Ismael once again.
Romaine Sawyers
The 31-year-old made his debut in this fixture, as he returned to the club he played at as a youngster.
Sawyers went on to make 61 appearances for the Baggies before leaving the club for Cardiff City in 2022, a club where he remains to this day.
Matt Phillips
The former QPR winger has been at the club since 2016 and racked up over 200 games for the club.
Now aged 32, Phillips is set for his eighth season at the club, however, similarly to Bartley, he is in the last year of his current contract.
Filip Krovinovic
The Croatian attacking midfielder was on loan at The Hawthorns during the 2019/20 campaign and managed to score three times in 51 games.
He then joined Nottingham Forest on loan in 2021, before completing a permanent move to Hajduk Split back in his home nation, where he has scored six times in two seasons.
Kyle Edwards
A product of the West Brom Academy, Kyle Edwards featured most heavily through the 2019/20 season and even featured for England U20.
He left The Hawthorns in 2021 for Ipswich Town and the now 25-year-old has made 50 appearances for the Tractor Boys in his two-year spell at Portman Road.
Kenneth Zohore
The Danish striker made his debut on the opening day after his £8 million move from Cardiff.
He came with a lot of promise after scoring double figures in the Championship the season previous. However, he failed to reach those heights he achieved in Wales and only managed 18 games for the Baggies, scoring just three times in four years.
29-year-old Zohore has recently signed for Slask Wroclaw in the Polish League on a one-year deal, with an option for a second.
