Super Eagles and West Bromwich Albion striker, Joshua Erowoli Maja, has drawn praise from his striking partner alongside the head coach after breaking a 111-year club record against Queens Park Rangers, Soccernet.ng reports.
The 25-year-old inspired Carlos Corberan's men to a 3-1 victory against QPR yesterday, scoring all three goals, and becoming the first player to score a hat trick on the first day of the season since Alf Bentley in the 1913/1914 season.
Due to recurring injuries, Maja didn't feature often for the Baggies last season. He played just twelve games and scored one goal, unable to help West Brom push for a place in the English top-flight as they fell out in the semi-finals of the EFL Championships play-offs.
He tripled his last season's tally after just one game this campaign, drawing praise from his teammate, Daryl Dike, who's currently suffering his second Achilles tendon injury in two seasons, resonating with Maja's last season pain. The American forward took to his X page to praise the Super Eagles striker. Daryl also has Nigerian roots, with a middle name “Enyinnaya”, popular among the Igbos.
People don’t know how much this guy has worked for this. Many blessings to my boy! Keep going❤️🤞🏿 https://t.co/pZ2QBRvjfd
— Daryl Dike (@DarylDike) August 11, 2024
Maja, who was previously on Sunderland's books, was thrilled with how he was able to help the team after a long time out.
“I’m delighted with how today went and to help my team. I’m really happy to have scored three goals and be available, especially because last season was a tough year for me. We’re starting fresh. I’m fit and available, which is a blessing. Hopefully, there are many more goals and wins to come. I was in the right place at the right time and I was clinical. It’s pleasing to be able to show the fans what I can do and it was a pleasure to be out there. I’ve got to give a lot of credit to the gaffer to my teammates and to the staff who have helped me. I hope today is the start of something special. I thrive off goals and confidence. This will be a big boost for my confidence and I’ll take that into my next game,” the former Bordeaux forward said in quotes revealed by West Brom's official website.
In the same vein, West Brom's gaffer, the Spanish Carlos Corberán, praised the striker for his remarkable effort in their victory over QPR.
“Josh Maja has had a very good level of impact on the game because it is not easy to score three goals, and all three had a lot of quality, but with Josh Maja, after one season without playing many games, we have to manage his minutes well and this is one of the positions we need to strengthen because we need to protect every single player,” the 41-year-old said after his side nicked three points.
Next up, the Baggies travel to Highbury on Tuesday to play against Fleetwood Town as they kick off their EFL Cup campaign.
