West Bromwich Albion forward Josh Maja expressed his delight after delivering a stunning hat-trick in a dominant performance against Queens Park Rangers (QPR) at Loftus Road on Saturday.
The forward spearheaded the Baggies' comeback after they fell behind to a 16th-minute goal by Lucas Andersen, which gave the hosts an early lead.
The Nigeria international, after a challenging, injury-plagued 2023/24 season, delivered two powerful headers and then executed an acrobatic finish in the area to complete his hat-trick.
Maja reflects on hat-trick heroics and a fresh start after challenging season
In an interview with the club's official website, Maja reflected on his remarkable hat-trick performance and the fresh start it represents after a challenging, injury-hit season.
“I’m delighted with how today went and to help my team,” Maja said.
“I’m really happy to have scored three goals and be available, especially because last season was a tough year for me.”
Looking ahead with optimism, Maja added, “We’re starting fresh. I’m fit and available, which is a blessing. Hopefully, there are many more goals and wins to come.”
He continued, “I was in the right place at the right time and I was clinical. I think the second header was my favourite. That type of finish isn’t something I’m known for doing, but I’ve managed to add it to my game.”
Maja also took the opportunity to credit those around him.
“It’s really 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.”
Concluding with a hopeful outlook, the 25-year-old stated, “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.”
Carlos Corberán highlights Maja's quality and cautions on managing his minutes
After West Brom’s victory over QPR, manager Carlos Corberán praised Maja for his exceptional performance but stressed the need to carefully manage the forward's minutes.
“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,” Corberán remarked.
“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.”
Before Saturday’s hat-trick, Maja had previously achieved just one hat-trick in his professional career, which was during his tenure at Bordeaux in France against Nîmes in December 2019.
