Following his dismissal, the former Salford City attacker left Albion without a focal point up top, giving the Wearside visitors a much-needed 1-0 victory.
Being the top scorer for the Baggies in the division, the 25-year-old hasn’t let himself down too much this season, scoring an astounding 11 goals in 37 league games.
Even after this careless red card, there won’t be any temptation in the West Midlands to try to offload Thomas-Asante, as the Baggies made the right decision in the past to part with this former center-forward.
The tenure of Shane Long at West Brom
Shane Long, who Roy Hodgson acquired back in 2011, came to the Baggies with a reputation as a prolific goal scorer. Prior to receiving a call from West Brom, he scored 23 goals in the Championship for Reading in the 2010–11 campaign.
The veteran Republic of Ireland international would go on to have a rollercoaster career with the Baggies, managing just 22 goals in 87 appearances.
Although Long scored 11 goals in all competitions during his second season at the Hawthorns, his three seasons with West Brom weren’t exactly a bust. Still, there wouldn’t have been too many cries when the Baggies successfully negotiated a good deal with Hull City in 2014.
With a profit on the £4.5 million the Baggies had previously spent on Long, they added a sizeable £7 million to their bank account when Long announced his transfer to the Tigers. This trade appears even more wise in retrospect when you take into account how much that sale would be in today’s inflated market thanks to Totally Football’s Transfer Index.
What Shane Long’s net worth would be in 2024
West Brom would have received an even healthier £14 million if the identical contract had closed in 2024, which would have further supported their decision to let the Irishman go.
In every season since 1992, Totally Money has acquired the top 100 most expensive transactions ever made in each of the top five European leagues. Equipped with an abundance of past financial records, they have computed the current value of former football players, accounting for the notable inflation rate.
Long would only play 17 games for his new team before Southampton took over, while West Brom took a short-lived punt on youthful sensation Saido Berahino to score goals, which proved to be successful.
Despite a recent rough patch of play, Carlos Corberan’s team is still very much in the running to advance to the Premier League via the playoff picture, so Thomas-Asante will be hoping to prove he’s a top-flight striker at some time this year.
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