Taylor Gardner-Hickman issues apology after West Brom flashpoint | OneFootball

West Brom man Taylor Gardner-Hickman has taken to his Instagram page to issue an apology over an incident that occurred during the Baggies’ loss to Nottingham Forest at the weekend.

The club would have been hoping for a positive result against Forest, with the side eager to ensure they can bag a top half finish at the very least this season.

However, they instead were dismantled 4-0 by Steve Cooper’s side, with the club putting three past West Brom within the first-half. During the game, the midfielder fired a ball into the crowd in what looked like frustration at the manner of the performance.

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However, the youngster has since taken to his social media page to address what happened – and to issue an apology, as he didn’t actually intend to hit it into the crowd during the fixture.

The player said it is ‘not in his nature’ to do something like that and it appears to be a case of the midfielder accidentally mis-kicking the ball and it ending up in the crowd.

Gardner-Hickman has been able to feature in 18 games so far this campaign in the Championship and despite being just 20-years-old, has looked like one of their brightest players during a season of struggle for the Baggies. They were considered as promotion contenders but have ended up floundering and let go of manager Valerien Ismael as a result.

They have looked more solid under Steve Bruce and whilst a play-off place may not be on the cards now, they could at least consolidate with a top half finish.

The Verdict

Taylor Garnder-Hickman probably didn’t mean to hoof the ball into the crowd and in that case, didn’t mean it maliciously either.

Sure there was probably a bit of frustration involved, especially considering the way that his side was performing during that Forest game, but it doesn’t look as though he was intending to do what he did and it could be a case of it being a pure accident.

As one of their most exciting players this season, he’s been one of the ones for supporters to watch too. He’s been a bright spark and the fans will surely still be onside with the player after his showings this season.

The midfielder then will put the minuscule incident behind him – and will focus on a strong end to the season and a positive next campaign too.