Wycombe Wanderers should capitalise on West Brom exit to make romantic and practical signing: View | OneFootball

Winger Matt Phillips departed West Brom this summer. Here's why former club Wycombe should make a bid to bring him back to where it started.

After spending eight years at the Hawthorns, winger Matt Phillips departed the Midlands club this summer. The Wycombe Wanderers academy graduate is still without a club, but could a return to where it all started be on the cards?

The Chairboys have been well-known for re-signing former players over the years, with current right-back Jason McCarthy having signed for the club an incredible four times since 2015. Wycombe have always left their mark on players once they have departed, which has seen many of those return to the club later down the line.

The Buckinghamshire club raised eyebrows in 2022, bringing back legendary defender Alfie Mawson after he fell in love with the club during his loan spell in 2014/15. This proved to kickstart the youngster's career, as he went on to play in the Premier League for Swansea City and Fulham respectively, before his return to Adams Park.

With there being strong links to former striker Uche Ikpeazu last summer, which ultimately came to nothing, Matt Bloomfield could be tempted to add another former teammate to his ranks. With Matt Phillips entering the twilight of his career, the move would certainly make sense for both parties.

Wycombe Wanderers have a habit of re-signing ex-players

If Phillips were to rejoin his first club, he would join the long list of players who have re-signed for the Wanderers over the last 10 years. This was something employed by former manager, Gareth Ainsworth. As previously mentioned, he signed defender Jason McCarthy four times during his stint as Wycombe's manager.

McCarthy wasn't the only player 'Wild Thing' signed more than once, as winger Fred Onyedinma had three spells at Adams Park. Many more returned for second stints, such as Alfie Mawson, Sam Saunders, and David Stockdale to name a few. This is all thanks to Ainsworth building a strong personal bond with many of his players and getting the very best out of them on the pitch.

When Ainsworth left for QPR in 2023, it was wondered whether the new manager, Matt Bloomfield, would continue this trend. Bloomfield's first-ever signing as Wycombe manager would be none other than former Chairboy, Richard Keogh. The former Derby County defender returned to Buckinghamshire 18 years after his first loan spell with the club.

Fan favourite Uche Ikpeazu was heavily linked with a move back to Wycombe last summer, two years after he left the club for Middlesbrough. However, this deal never happened, and the Ugandan ended up at Port Vale. Bloomfield would bring former loanee Chem Campbell back to the club in January 2024, continuing the trend.

To an extent, the trend has already continued this summer, as new goalkeeper Nathan Bishop had already been prepared to be announced as a Wycombe player in the summer of 2022. This was until Manchester United pulled the plug at the eleventh hour, and Bishop was summoned back to Carrington. Two years later, the 25-year-old finally got his move to South Buckinghamshire, joining on loan from Sunderland.

It's worth noting that every year since 2012, Wycombe Wanderers have re-signed at least one former player. Gary Doherty was the original trendsetter after he rejoined in 2012 after a loan spell the previous season.

Phillips can take an example from Garath McCleary

Whilst the former Scottish international is in the final few years of his football career, Wycombe already have a winger who continues to defy his age with his incredible physical condition. 37-year-old Garath McCleary has been at Wycombe since 2020 and is still going strong heading into 2024/25. The Jamaican has played 167 times for the Chairboys, scoring 27 goals and assisting 23, as he has been a crucial member of the squad for many years.

McCleary signed for Wycombe at the age of 33, which is how old Phillips is now. If Phillips is looking to continue his playing career for as long as possible, he can take an example from McCleary. Wanderers have a reputation for getting the best out of ageing players. This has been proven plenty of times, as Adebayo Akinfenwa and the previously mentioned McCleary are the best examples.

Phillips still featured in 26 of a possible 48 league games for West Brom last season, as the Baggies were defeated in the Championship play-off semi-finals. Coming off the back of a moderately active campaign, the Scotsman will be eager to find a club where he can be a regular starter. The winger's future depends on whether he believes he can still feature regularly in the Championship, or drop to League One and be a crucial component in a promotion-pushing side.

The return of Phillips would be both productive and poetic

Having broken through the academy at Wycombe, the former Scottish international has the opportunity to go back and add to his legacy at Adams Park, fourteen years after leaving for Blackpool. As has been proven so many times in football, players at the end of their careers love to go back to where it all started, and that could be no different for Phillips.

With an ambitious project well underway at Wycombe, Phillips has the potential to head back to HP12 and be a spearhead in the quest to return the Buckinghamshire club to the Championship. Matt Bloomfield has assembled a squad that is more than capable of pushing on from last season's tenth-place finish. However, adding a quality player with a wealth of Premier League and Championship experience like Phillips could add another cutting edge to an already very strong Wycombe attack.

Capable of playing on either wing or through the middle as a number ten, Phillips also fits the bill of Bloomfield's love for versatile players. Whilst he will have plenty of competition from the likes of Kieran Sadlier, Garath McCleary, Brandon Hanlan and Beryly Lubala, this should push Phillips to stay at the top of his game, to make sure he has a place in that starting eleven locked down.

Not only will the former West Brom man be a massive threat on the pitch, but he will act as a good role model for younger players at Wycombe. During his time at the club, Gareth Ainsworth referred to his most senior and influential players as his 'Generals'. There is a good case for Phillips to slot right into Wycombe's culture and be one of these, acting as a mentor for younger players. With the career that he's had, this should be fairly straightforward for Phillips, as he can pass his knowledge throughout the Chairboys squad.

Overall, this signing is a no-brainer if Wycombe are willing to reunite with the 33-year-old. Phillips can come into the squad, offer valuable experience as a wise head and have an enormous impact on the pitch. His creativity could be the missing link in the Wycombe attack, creating chances for Richard Kone and Daniel Udoh.

Having a player who's thrived at the top level in their attack will benefit Wycombe massively for the upcoming season, and Phillips himself will look at the success of players such as Garath McCleary at Wycombe, as an example of what he can be for the football club. Matt Bloomfield has created a balance of youthful prospects and wise senior players. The signing of Phillips will only help add to that balance, not to mention the quality of the squad as well.