---
title: "West Bromwich Albion: Kevin Phillips salutes “exciting” Hal Robson-Kanu for improved goal return this season"
canonical: "https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/west-brom-kevin-phillips-praise-hal-robson-kanu-promotion/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Liam Togher"
section: "Features"
published: "2020-06-04T12:00:13Z"
modified: "2020-06-04T12:00:13Z"
---

# West Bromwich Albion: Kevin Phillips salutes “exciting” Hal Robson-Kanu for improved goal return this season

**Former West Brom striker Kevin Phillips has commended current Baggies ace Hal Robson-Kanu for his improved scoring return this season.**

The Wales international is [Albion’s top scorer](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/west-bromwich-albion/leistungsdaten/verein/984) so far this term with 10 goals, a potency which has helped Slaven Bilic’s side to [occupy an automatic promotion place](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/championship/tabelle/wettbewerb/GB2) as they prepare to resume the Championship season following the three-month coronavirus-enforced hiatus.

Phillips, a scorer of [24 goals](https://www.expressandstar.com/sport/football/west-bromwich-albion/2020/06/03/kevin-phillips-hails-hal-robson-kanu-in-push-for-west-brom-promotion/) in the club’s promotion-winning 2007/08 campaign, has praised the 31-year-old for adding a consistent end product to other positive traits within his armoury.

He told the [Express & Star](https://www.expressandstar.com/sport/football/west-bromwich-albion/2020/06/03/kevin-phillips-hails-hal-robson-kanu-in-push-for-west-brom-promotion/): “Hal Robson-Kanu has really performed. He has always been an exciting player, I’ve always liked his work ethic and his hold-up play. But this season he has added the goals that perhaps in previous seasons he hasn’t. I think he is getting into better positions. And it also helps playing in such a good side.”

\[freshpress-poll id=”302133″\]

Phillips is right to note the improvement in the Welshman’s scoring return in 2019/20 compared to previous seasons. Robson-Kanu came into the current campaign with a meagre [nine goals in 94 games](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/hal-robson-kanu/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/65976/verein/984) for West Brom across three years, a frankly poor return for a centre-forward. Since the start of this season, though, he has been far more potent, reaching [double figures in a single campaign for the first time](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/hal-robson-kanu/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/65976) in his career. His contribution has been vital to an Albion side who, despite their lofty league position, have had [only him reaching the 10-goal mark](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/west-bromwich-albion/leistungsdaten/verein/984) so far this term.

Phillips also makes a good point about Robson-Kanu “getting into better positions” in order to boost his goals tally. The striker has averaged 1.7 shots per game in 2019/20, the joint-highest of any season in his career and a substantial improvement on the 1.2 average he managed last term – in his first campaign at The Hawthorns in 2016/17, he was averaging just 0.6 shots per game (via [WhoScored](https://www.whoscored.com/Players/35371/History/Hal-Robson-Kanu)).

If the Baggies go on to secure a return to the Premier League, the goals of Robson-Kanu will have proven pivotal to their promotion, so it is with good reason that Phillips has commended the 31-year-old for finally delivering a consistent scoring supply.

***West Brom fans, do you share Phillips’ views on Robson-Kanu? Have your say by commenting below!***