West Bromwich Albion will look back on their 2023/24 campaign and arguably think about what could have been after folding in the second leg of the Championship play-off semi-finals away at Southampton, to crash out as 3-1 losers.
If they'd managed to get to Wembley, who knows what the final outcome could have been for their season, with Carlos Corberan potentially getting one over on his former employers in Leeds United in a theoretical final.
Instead, they're now preparing for another 46-game slog in the second tier, with the likes of Cedric Kipre potentially leaving for free very soon, with his contract up at the end of June.
The Baggies will, no doubt, have plans in place already for the expected exit of Kipre from the Hawthorns, with a youngster potentially benefitting from the imposing centre-back's departure.
West Brom's young Kipre replacement
Capable of playing at left-back and left-midfield, alongside in the centre-back spot, Zac Ashworth might well feel more first-team opportunities are overdue ahead of the season to come, regardless of Kipre leaving.
The versatile 21-year-old has accumulated 58 appearances in total for the U18s and U23s after joining his boyhood club all the way back in 2012, with six senior games to date being gifted to him as a result.
CB
13
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LM
8
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Ashworth's willingness to play in a number of different positions will certainly make him a desirable player next season for Corberan to give more chances too, with the Baggies in need of more reinforcements down the left-flank too with Adam Reach now gone, alongside needing more centre-back options.
Bolton Wanderers must have been avid fans of Ashworth to gamble on loaning him last season, which the 21-year-old took in his stride, to further justify getting more chances next campaign.
Zac Ashworth's numbers at Bolton
Predominantly used as an option down the left-hand side by Ian Evatt's men, Ashworth displayed for his new loan side that he is worthy of time in Corberan's XI next campaign, by picking up three goals and three assists from 23 clashes.
The Trotters loanee did find his minutes hard to come by towards the latter patches of the season, with only two appearances being handed out to him in the last three months of his loan stint, but his flashes of quality for the League One side should be enough to be considered for more senior opportunities soon.
Unusually, despite only really playing on the left for the third-tier side, Kipre leaving the building could see Ashworth take on a role at centre-back, one that he's arguably more comfortable in based on the number of games he played there on youth pitches for the Baggies.
Caleb Taylor, who was also on loan at the Trotters alongside Ashworth, will also fancy his chances at breaking into the first-team to offer Corberan more depth at the back, notching up seven appearances for Evatt's side before returning back to home comforts at the Hawthorns.
Ashworth won't want to head back to West Brom and recede back into his shell in the youth sides, after starring for Bolton in spurts, with the potential for the 21-year-old to take the bull by the horns and dive headfirst into the first-team now, to try and soften the immense blow of Kipre leaving for nothing if it does happen.
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ByKelan Sarson