Steve Bruce has told talkSPORT how pleased he is that one of his former EFL players made his Premier League debut last weekend.

The iconic former Premier League manager oversaw the careers of hundreds of players in the 12 clubs he managed.

The 65-year-old, who is currently a regular on talkSPORT, hasn’t been in the dugout since Blackpool let him go in October 2025.

Bruce, who is expected to return to management at the highest level, admits that poor recruitment cost him his job at Bloomfield Road.

The same cannot be said during his West Brom spell, during which he signed Brandon Thomas-Asante from Salford City for £300,000 in 2022.

The 27-year-old has had a remarkable ascent, making his Premier League debut for Coventry City in a 3-0 loss to Arsenal.

Under Frank Lampard, Thomas-Asante scored 13 goals and assisted four times as the Sky Blues won the Championship.

He was a member of Ghana’s World Cup squad this summer, coming off the bench to set up the Black Stars’ victory over Panama – albeit he was an unused replacement in their goalless draw with England.

Only four years ago, Thomas-Asante was playing with Bruce’s son Alex at Salford, having previously completed a non-league tour.

Steve Bruce opens up about Brandon Thomas-Asante.

Speaking to talkSPORT.com on behalf of Free Bets, the top UK betting service, the Manchester United icon said: “When I was out of work, I watched a bit of Salford with my son, and I always thought, ‘He’s got something.'”

The reason Bruce received the West Brom sack
Thomas-Asante, who joined West Brom on deadline day 2022, equalised late on his debut to earn a 1-1 draw against Burnley.

He followed that up with another goal on his second appearance for the club, but their collaboration ended a month later when Bruce was sacked following a goalless draw at home to Luton Town.

The ex-Sunderland and Newcastle gaffer even admitted that his decision to hook Thomas-Asante against the Hatters led to his doom, with the Hawthorns fans turning against him.

Bruce told talkSPORT: “I remember saying to him at West Brom, and it was a big, big occasion for him with all his family, and you could feel that hunger and desire.”I guess within half an hour at West Brom, he became a cult icon all of a sudden. In reality, the reason why I got the sack truly at West Brom was I took him off.

“I took them off, and the crowd shouted, ‘You don’t know what you’re doing.'”I hired Karlan Grant for a fee of £15 million.But, yeah, I’m thrilled. “It’s rewarding as a manager to give someone a chance, and I believe some younger players in the EFL require a break.”He’s absolutely someone who demonstrates the point. He moved on and is presently playing in the Premier League. “I’m happy for him.He’s a good child with a great heart, and I hope he succeeds.”

Steve Bruce still misses management.

Bruce, who has managed over 1000 games in his post-playing career, told talkSPORT, “Look at how blessed I have been.””I consider myself fortunate to have clubs in Sheffield, the North-east, and three in the Midlands.”I’ve managed large teams and handled their opponents, but look now I’ve been privileged that I’ve had the opportunity to manage over a thousand games. “Especially when I was younger, I always believed I’m not going to be able to achieve this… I had three, four clubs within two years.

“It took me a while to calm down. “I still miss it today.”Even now, I miss the day-to-day grind of training the team and getting them ready for the weekend.”