West Bromwich Albion manager, Carlos Corberán has lauded Nigerian striker Josh Maja after his stunning hat-trick secured a 3-1 victory over Queens Park Rangers in their Championship opener on Saturday.

Maja turned the game around for the Baggies after QPR took an early lead through Lucas Andersen.

The 24-year-old forward leveled the score in the 26th minute before adding two more goals in the second half, finding the back of the net in the 51st and 65th minutes to ensure a winning start for Corberán’s side.

“Today, Josh Maja 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 praised in his post-match comments.

Despite Maja’s impressive performance, Corberán emphasized the need for caution regarding the striker’s playing time, following a season marred by injuries. “We have to manage his minutes well.”