Brett and Ibrahim form impresses Ruth

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Albion defeated Manchester City in Premier League 2 on Sunday.

Nick Szczepanik

2025-11-10T20:00+00:00

Younes Ibrahim has been in excellent form for both the under-21s and under-18s so far this campaign. 📷 by Paul Hazlewood.

Albion under-21s coach Shannon Ruth praised the efforts of scholars Adam Brett and Younes Ibrahim after both played important parts in his side’s 2-0 victory over reigning PL2 champions Manchester City on Sunday.

The first-half goals followed set-play deliveries from 17-year-old Ibrahim, the second scored by Wales-qualified local boy Brett, 18, after he followed up his own effort against the crossbar to head in.

It was the second successive league game in which the pair have been game-changers, both scoring in the 2-2 draw away to Leeds United in the team’s previous outing.

“Younes is in a really good moment,” Ruth said. “He has stepped up. He was in good form for the under-18s and he's continued that form in our teams. He scored at Leeds and he was a constant threat for us against City.

“What he has shown also in the last few games is his ability to give you good numbers physically. As a scholar, he looks pretty slight but he doesn't shy away from a duel. He's had really good actions in the last few games and it's really his first block of fixtures with us and he's done very well.

“Adam has certainly got some centre-forward traits and a lot of self-belief, but he's been here a long time and he's a player we really like. To score at Leeds and then today puts him in a good place before he goes away on his international duty with Wales under-19s.

“You want your centre-forward to be slightly selfish, you want him to have a hunger for goals and a self-belief and Adam has that, but he's a really good lad, he's really humble, he's eager to get better. So he's got that balance of confidence and humility too.”

The victory over City in Albion’s first home game in six matches was an eventful one, both sides finishing with ten men following straight red cards and goalkeeper Steven Hall saving a penalty with almost the last kick of the game.

Adam Brett has scored in back-to-back Premier League 2 games for Albion. 📷 by Paul Hazlewood.

“City always carry a threat with their individual quality, but I thought we deserved our goals,” Ruth said. “Obviously, the sending off helps. The game got scrappy midway through, but overall I'm really pleased with the win off the back of a really, really difficult run of games for us.”

Next on the fixture list come the contrasting opposition of Eastbourne Town in the Sussex Senior Cup at The Saffrons on Tuesday week and Benfica in the Premier League International Cup at Lancing three days later.

“I think it's not often that I say to players we've got Eastbourne and Benfica in the same week,” Ruth said. “But that variety of fixtures is an important part of our programme.

“Benfica will be more of a tactical game, while there'll be parts of the Eastbourne game with the crowd there when it will probably be quite hostile in some respects. But that's a really good experience for the players.”