Opposition striker declares Leeds United view in rivals' early statement of Championship intent

The EFL fixtures for the forthcoming campaign were released last week and West Brom’s first four league fixtures all come against sides who either finished in last season’s top ten or teams towards the head of the betting for next season’s Championship.

Top of the list from that perspective is West Brom’s third game of the season at Leeds who are rated joint second-favourites for next season’s title following their Premier League relegation last term.

The Baggies will begin the new campaign with a trip to Blackburn Rovers, followed by a home clash against Swansea City before their trip to Elland Road. A home clash against last season’s beaten play-off semi-finalists Middlesbrough is next up and Thomas-Asante admits his side have been handed a tough start to the season.

The striker, though, says he is merely looking at his side’s opening fixtures as an opportunity to signal West Brom’s intent following the side’s disappointing ninth-placed finish of last term.

“There’s tough opposition but I wouldn’t have it any other way,” said last season’s Baggies top scorer Thomas-Asante, as quoted by the Express and Star. “It allows us the opportunity to send a message out in terms of what we want to achieve and where we want to be.

“If we can come out of those games in a positive position it will stand us in good stead for the rest of the campaign. I’m really looking forward to those games already."

Thomas-Asante added: “There’s a few fixtures I always look out for, for two reasons really. On one hand you have got teams where I have some mates playing such as Huddersfield, Rotherham and Watford. It’ll be nice getting those games in.

“You’ve also got the ones against teams who we didn’t get positive results against last year and we’ll be wanting revenge. We dropped points in games which we shouldn’t have last year and we want to make up for that this this around.”

Albion’s players are already back in pre-season training.