Daily WHUFC News - 20th May 2016

Super-striker signs new contract
WHUFC.com

West Ham United are delighted to announce that super striker Jahmal Hector-Ingram has signed a new three year contract at the club. Initially a scholarship, the England youth international will turn professional on his 18th birthday. Having earned his new contract, a delighted Hector-Ingram said: "It feels amazing, it really does! It's been a dream from a young age to get a contract at this club and I'm very proud that I've managed to accomplish one of my dreams. "The next dream is me playing in the first team. However, I'm not getting too excited; I know I have to work even harder! This is only the start."

Having praised his teammates and coaches alike for all their support, the young striker paid special tribute to his family: "After losing my Nan this year, this is even more special for me, as I'm doing all this for her too. "it's definitely a proud moment for my family, like I said before, my Mum and my Nan especially has been my inspiration and has also been the reason why I've got so far, so I'm very grateful. "Not forgetting my brothers either, my family as a whole is very happy at this moment in time!"

Having initially struggled with injuries at the start of the campaign, Hector-Ingram recovered and found his goalscoring touch, netting five times for the U18s in 13 starts. His form saw him feature in the Development Squad's cup running, playing in both the semi-final win over Liverpool and first leg victory over Hull City. Reflecting on the past 12 months, he continued: "This season has been a rollercoaster for me, as I was injured again. But for the second part of the season, I've stayed fit and managed to score some goals too. "Personally, I've got three highlights: scoring against Southampton the day after my nan died, for me that was a special moment and I shall never forget that. My Mum and the family encouraged me to play and I managed to score the winner which I was very delightful with. "My second is scoring my first goal for the U21s against Aston Villa, at Villa Park. I was extremely happy to score my first U21 goal. "Overall, my main highlight is winning the U21 Premier League Cup. That feeling was indescribable really; if that's what it feels like to win then I most definitely want to be winning more often!"

Currently out in Hong Kong representing the Hammers in the annual Soccer Sevens tournament, Hector-Ingram finished by looking ahead to what could well be a very bright future. He stated: "My aim is to make my debut in the new stadium in the up and coming years. It will be the biggest dream come through if I made my debut for West Ham and it will be even more special if I made it at the new stadium. Hopefully I can reach my aims as soon as possible. "It's most definitely a special time to be committing to the club. To know that the new stadium is very local to my childhood background is even more exciting, I'm looking forward to the challenge ahead."

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First and Last - Mark Noble
WHUFC.com

As West Ham United conclude the final season at the Boleyn Ground, we've asked the players for some memorable firsts and lasts from their careers and lives. Tonight, Mark Noble goes under the spotlight…

FIRSTS

Who would be the first player you would call up for a pub quiz at your local?

Quite surprisingly Andy Carroll knows a lot but I don't think I would call him up because he would probably annoy me! I would probably go for Joey O'Brien. He thinks he knows more than he does but he does know quite a lot!

Who would be the first player you would vote off the X-Factor?

I don't hear a lot of people sing but I would have to go for Adrian. He sings all the Spanish songs and they are terrible!

What was the first car you owned?

The first car I had was a Golf. I bought it before I passed my test and I failed my first test so it was just sat on my driveway. It was terrible as it was like having a piece of chocolate that you are not allowed to eat! I used to go outside and just sit in the car and turn the lights on. I thought it was a big deal. I passed the second time and had the car for years. Up until now it was my favourite car.

What is the first CD you bought?

I think it was Billie Piper. I had a bit of a crush on her when I was a kid for some mad reason.

Can you remember your first goal in professional football for West Ham?

It was against Brighton in the FA Cup. Carlos Tevez chested the ball down for me and I volleyed it into the bottom of the goal.

LASTS

What was the last sporting event you paid to watch?

It was the Anthony Joshua fight at the O2 Arena when he beat Charles Martin to become the new IBF heavyweight champion. It was a great night.

What was the last concert you went to?

Adele at the O2. She was phenomenal and I love her. I liked her that much that I went to see her twice in concert.

Which of your team-mates is the last you would like to be stuck in a lift with?

I will go for Emmanuel Emenike. You never know if he is being serious or not and he does say a lot of things which I just don't believe!

What was the last video you looked at on YouTube?

It was some guy catching a shark in Florida and I was trying to get some tips. It was massive and I think it was a bull shark.

What was the last film you saw at the cinema?

I took the kids to see Jurassic Park in 3D. It was actually quite good. I had the glasses on and the kids loved it.

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Academy season not over yet!
WHUFC.com

The season may be approaching its conclusion, but there is still plenty of football being played by the Academy of Football. West Ham United's outstanding youngsters returned from a successful weekend at the ICGT tournament in the Netherlands, where a squad featuring Reece Oxford, Martin Samuelsen and new boy Toni Martinez finished as runners-up. The young Hammers beat host club FC Uitgeest 2-0, fellow Dutchmen AZ by a single goal and Brazilians Cruzeiro by the same scoreline to reach the semi-finals. There, West Ham drew 1-1 with Panathinaikos of Greece before going through on penalties. The final saw the Londoners hold Atletico Paranense of Brazil to a goalless draw before the South American's edged the shootout 6-5 in sudden-death.
This coming weekend, a similarly promising group will take part in the HKFC Citi Soccer Sevens in Hong Kong, where they will hope to go one better than last year's final defeat by Spanish side Atletico Madrid. Academy Director and Head of Coaching Player Development Terry Westley said he was proud of the way the players had approached both tournaments at the end of a long season. "We had a successful trip to Holland, with Reece Oxford, Martin Samuelsen and debutant Toni Martinez all playing a full part," Westley began. "We went through the group stage without conceding a goal, with Toni scoring at the other end, and then won a keenly-contested semi-final with Panathinaikos. We just ran out of legs in the final, but we still pushed the Brazilian team to penalties. "Reece took part in all the matches and played very well, despite the distraction of incorrect stories being published about his contract. The fact is that no contract has been turned down. "The boy himself is looking to go on and establish himself as a West Ham player. Speculation is not helpful for any young player, especially as all Reece wants to do is go out and play as much football as he can. "It is credit to Reece and his professionalism that he committed himself 100 per cent to the tournament at the end of a season during which he has made great strides and eleven first-team appearances, despite being in the first-year scholar age-group. "Now, he and a number of our other young players have international duty to look forward to – Reece and Sam Howes have been called up by England U19s, while Martin has been called up by Norway U21s. "I was also really pleased with Toni, who scored some goals and was a constant threat. It was great for him to have time with the squad and get used to what we do. He will be an asset to the Development Squad."

This weekend, a ten-strong squad has travelled to the Far East for the prestigious HKFC Citi Soccer Sevens competition, where their group-stage opponents will include Leicester City.
"This is a very well-run tournament, with a good level of football, and we are always very well looked after during our stay in Hong Kong," Westley explained. "Mark Phillips has taken the squad out there with the likes of Alex Pike and Lewis Page ending a season which began with first-team debuts in the UEFA Europa League. "Moses Makasi, Gradi Diangana, Tunji Akinola and Jahmal Hector-Ingram are also in the squad after signing new contracts with the Club, so we hope they will continue their development in what is a challenging environment. "We look forward to seeing how the boys perform."

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Former Player Blog - Glen Johnson
WHUFC.com

Glen Johnson will never forget his breakthrough into the West Ham first-team when he was just 18-years-old and the chance he was given to play at the highest level in the Premier League. Johnson was fortunate enough to come through the Club's famous Academy and says it helped him produce his best form when he went on to make big money moves to Chelsea and Liverpool. The 31-year-old is now playing for Stoke but he still has a lot of good friends at the east London Club and will be keeping a close eye on the Hammers when they move into the new Stadium during the summer....
I had a lot of happy times at West Ham United and I have said over the years it was where I spent the majority of my young years and it set the foundations for me. The Club has always meant a lot to me and it always will do. I hope they can move onto the next level when they move into the new Stadium during the summer. Obviously I have got a lot of friends there both inside and outside of the football Club and they have a big fan base. I'm sure the fans will fill it and they will have a great time there. It has been a great year for West Ham and they have got some very good players. It has never been easy to play against West Ham and now it is harder as they have slightly better players. They have a very good side and were unlucky not to break into the top four last season. Hopefully the team will get into the Europe and the fans deserve it. It will be great for the football Club. I had a lot of great memories at the Boleyn Ground but my standout memory would have to be my debut. You work so hard from such a young age to achieve that and I have a lot of friends who didn't make it so that will stay close to my heart.

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Oxford slams fake headline claims
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 19, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H

Reece Oxford has slammed reports about him in the Sun Newspaper this morning calling them fake. The Sun reported that Reece Oxford wants £40,000 a week and a £1million signing-on fee to commit his long term future to West Ham. It adds the defender and the club are at a stand-off over a new three-year contract, although the England Under-19s star denies he has rejected any firm deal.
It adds "West Ham are holding out on meeting Oxford's demands in full but have made offered him a significant pay rise.Oxford, 17, has two years to run on his contract and is one of the most talked-about young English players in the Premier League and has been linked with £8m moves to Manchester City and Manchester United."

However Oxford's response to these reports was one of humour "Lol what am I seeing now #fake"

Yesterday, ClaretandHugh contacted its top source at the club as the speculation intensified and was immediately assured there "is nothing in any of this at all." He added: "There have been no inquiries from anywhere but the time of year always sees a certain train of events get underway and there's always a legion of agents and middlemen ready to start rumours through the media. We are talking all the time and monitoring things and there is nothing to be concerned about."

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Right back duo linked with Hammers
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 19, 2016 in News, Whispers
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According to reports in the French media, West Ham are interested in both Gregory van der Wiel and Mathieu Debuchy as they search to find an experienced right-back this summer. Arsenal's Frenchman Mathieu Debuchy spent the second half of last season on loan at Bordeaux after losing his place to Hector Bellerin at the Emirates and it is claimed Arsene Wenger has no plans to keep him on next season. Debuchy's still has three years to run on his contract with the Gunners but Arsenal are willing to put the former Newcastle man up for sale on the cheap. According to France Football, Lyon are leading the chase for Debuchy and are preparing a bid of around £5m for the 30-year-old. greg-van-der-wiel-gsj-5-1280x0-c-defaultGregory van der Wiel will leave Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain after the Coupe de France final against Marseille on Saturday. The Netherlands international was expected to call time on his four-year spell in the French capital at the end of the season, when his contract is due to expire. And PSG announced on Tuesday that the 28-year-old will depart the club after their clash with Marseille at the Stade de France. "After four seasons with the club, Netherlands international defender Gregory van der Wiel will leave Paris Saint-Germain," the club said on their official website as part of a lengthy tribute to his performances for the club. Van der Wiel, who joined from Ajax in 2012, has won four Ligue 1 titles, three Coupe de la Ligue trophies and the Coupe de France during his time in France. He has been linked with a move to Serie A champions Juventus, as well as AC Milan and Inter.

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Argentinian striker linked with Hammers
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 19, 2016 in News, Whispers
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Argentinian striker, Jonathan Calleri is in advanced talks with West Ham over a possible season long loan deal or an outright purchase claims the Brazilian media. The former Boca Juniors striker's rights were acquired for €11m by an investment group who registered him with Uruguaian side, Deportivo Maldonado. He is currently on loan to Brazilian team, São Paulo with 8 goals in 9 Copa Libertadores games.

The report on the Brazilian football website Lance.com.br says: "Calleri, is closer to move to England than Italy. Adding that the group of investors who own the rights to the striker are negotiating to move him to English football, more precisely at West Ham .The negotiations are at an advanced stage although there is a supposed agreement with Inter Milan. His preference is for Italian football. His family has roots are in the Latin country and the striker believes that is where his style of play can develop better"

Calleri should be granted an Italian passport this summer – he qualifies via his grandparents – which will mean he can move to the Premier League without any need for a work permit. He would be unlikley to get a work permit on the grounds That may be difficult as he is yet to be capped at full level by Argentina.

It should come as no surprise that Spurs have also been linked with the 22 year player with Mauricio Pochettino recommending him to Spurs chairman Daniel Levy. The striker was previously linked with West Ham in the January transfer window.

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Hammers look for big fee as defender hunted
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on May 19, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H

James Tomkins has had a £7 million fee slapped on him by West Ham who expect interest from both Sunderland and Crystal Palace this summer. The central defender is fancied strongly by Sam Alladyce and Alan Pardew with Slaven Bilic is ready to listen to offers in that area. Tomkins had a very in and and out season at Upton Park last term with injuries but despite being fully recovered towards the end of the campaign remained on the sidelines with Angelo Ogbonna and Winston Reid being used whenever possible. And despite performing reasonably well at right back Michail Antonio was preferred as Tomkins was forced to sweat it out on the bench. The manager is a big fan of James Collins and has been looking in the direction of Reece Burke after an outstanding season on loan at Bradford. And with speculation swirling around Reece Oxford's head he too could be in line for promotion from the fringes. He is also expected to blood Sam Byram in the full back role next term. Thus, Tomkins, along with Enner Valencia, is set to find himself very much on the wanted list this summer and may be forced to make up his mind whether he will be reunited with Allardyce – who rates him highly – or stay in London at Palace. A well placed Irons source told ClaretandHugh: "We always listen to offers for players but nobody will be sold on the cheap. There's not a first team member we rate lower than £7 million."

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Report: West Ham prepare bid for Turkish winger
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 19, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H

West Ham are preparing a move for Besiktas star Gokhan Tore according to the Turkish media. The Hammers have been closely linked with Tore all season and head coach Slaven Bilic has previously confirmed that the Turkish international is one of his transfer targets. Speaking to Turkish sports newspaper Fanatik in a recent interview Bilic said: "Everyone knows how much I like Tore he is an excellent player and I want him at West Ham." The former Besiktas manager also said that West Ham were not in direct talks which raised the question of whether negotiations are being being carried out through intermediaries. "We are not in direct talks with Tore," he added. Tore has six goals and nine assists in all competitions for the Istanbul giants this season and played an important role in Besiktas winning the league title.The 23-year-old winger also earned himself a call-up to the Turkish national side ahead of the European.

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West Ham transfer news: Hammers eyeing £9m deal for unwanted Juventus midfielder Roberto Pereyra
By talkSPORT - @talkSPORT
Thursday, May 19, 2016

West Ham have been put on alert to the possible availability of Juventus midfielder Roberto Pereyra. The Italian champions are planning on a summer spending spree but first need to raise cash to boost their transfer war chest. According to Tuttosport, the Old Lady are prepared to put Pereyra in the shop window, with the Argentine only considered a bit-part player by manager Massimiliano Allegri. West Ham have been monitoring Pereyra's progress for some time but have yet to make up their minds on whether to submit a bid due to concerns over the player's fitness. Pereyra made just 16 appearances for Juve last season, making it difficult for scouts at West Ham to make a conclusive judgement on whether to go for him this summer.
However, after hearing Pererya will be put up for sale, the Hammers are now seriously considering a swoop, and a fee of around £9m will be enough to broker a deal between themselves and Juve.

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West Ham transfer news: Slaven Bilic planning shock deal for Arsenal defender Mathieu Debuchy
By talkSPORT - @talkSPORT
Thursday, May 19, 2016

West Ham are preparing a shock move for Arsenal defender Mathieu Debuchy, according to reports in France. The right-back has fallen down the pecking order at the Emirates and is now playing second fiddle to Hector Bellerin. Debuchy spent the second half of this season on loan at Bordeaux and talkSPORT told you on Tuesday that the Frenchman is eager for a move in the summer. That, according to M365, has sparked interest from West Ham and they are now considering making an approach. The Hammers are on the hunt for a right-back this summer after being forced to use Michail Antonio in that position for much of this season. Gregory van der Wiel is another player being monitored by West Ham, but Debuchy is reportedly top of their list of targets.

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WHY WE SHOULD SHARE THE OS WITH CHELSEA.
By Blind Hammer 19 May 2016 at 08:00
WTID

Blind Hammer looks at the case for ground sharing the OS.

The initial reaction of many of us, myself included, was to feel possessive hackles rising at the news that Chelsea are looking at possibly using the Olympic Stadium to stage some of their matches. Chelsea has already been in discussion with the London Legacy Olympic Development Corporation but it is understood that West ham's agreement will have to be sought for the plans to proceed.

On reflection though I am increasingly persuaded that we should encourage the move. Chelsea have their own plans to redevelop Stamford Bridge but would need to relocate doing the 2018 season whilst this work is done.

It is inconceivable that we would have extended this courtesy to Tottenham during their own Stadium redevelopment, so why should we consider extending an invitation to Chelsea?

It is worth remembering that not all rivalries are the same. Whilst we have a rivalry with Chelsea this has not plunged to the acrimonious depths of our current relationship with Tottenham.

So why are Tottenham different? Whether we like it or not the dominant teams in London during the Premiership era have been Arsenal and Chelsea, with Tottenham making attempts to hang onto their coat tails. Tottenham have been reasonably secure in their assumption that they were the third biggest financial force in London with ambitions to achieve more. As soon as the possibility of West Ham occupying the Olympic Stadium became a reality this comfortable world view started to come under some threat. Tottenham cast, for the first time in years, anxious eyes eastwards. This manifested itself in their tooth and nail attempt to disrupt and spoil any ambitions by West Ham to enter the Olympic Stadium, including the submission of a spoiling bid to delay West Ham's entry. A bid based on simply demolishing the Stadium was never likely to win but that was never the point in my view. It was to delay and upset West Ham's development. Daniel Levy's comfort was disturbed by the prospect of having to financially compete with West Ham as well as Chelsea and Arsenal.

Tottenham had already seen their position as London's second side unsettled by Chelsea's emergence under the patronage of Abramovich's billions since 2003. Now they are facing the prospect of dropping to fourth behind West Ham in the financial league table. Tottenham's reaction to their perception of the threat that West Ham now posed led them to take the extraordinary step of employing Spies to try and disrupt West Ham's bid for the Stadium. See HERE.

Even after a move to the OS, West Ham will not overtake Tottenham's revenues in the immediate or short term. However, it is clear that Levy sees a threat in the longer term as the club develops at the OS. This has been reflected in the acrimonious relationships in transfer dealings over the last 18 months or so. Levy seems determined not to sell any players to West Ham and it seems likely that the reverse is now true.

The point though is that none of this applies to Chelsea. For the time being Chelsea do not see West Ham as a threat in the same way as Tottenham do. Despite their under-achievement this season, they are still comforted by access to Abramovich's incredible wealth. Relations between the clubs are relatively normal. We were able to access one of their players, Victor Moses, for a season long loan, It is inconceivable that a similar arrangement would be made with Tottenham.

I believe this offers some opportunities for a deal with Chelsea at the OS. Whilst this proposal is described as a ground share, in my view this does not describe accurately the likely terms of occupation. When all is said and done Chelsea would be playing their games for the season of 2018 only. They would have no rights to alter or reverse the West Hamification of the stadium. They would, as far as I can tell, have no accommodation in the stadium itself, no club shop and no offices. They would be at best lodgers, sleeping on the sofa for a time whilst they sorted out their own home.

The financial benefits of such an arrangement would be low, West Ham would receive a 50% rebate in their rent but as this is relatively small anyway this is unlikely to be the determining factor.

The real benefits of allowing Chelsea to play at the OS are in politics. It helps to nail down once and for all, some of the misapprehensions that West Ham have an unfair deal. West Ham supporters are probably familiar with the tenancy agreement and the benefit that it provides for the tax payer. Basically West Ham have committed to providing an occupancy of the stadium for 99 years, which in turn should deliver 99 years of profit, producing a revenue stream, far surpassing any investment in the stadium.

However jealousies and rivalries will not be particularly concerned with any facts and resentments will grumble on with the small minded.

Why should we be concerned about this? Well if we were talking about our core support, it probably does not matter, most of who simply feel smug that we have got such a fantastic deal with the stadium. However the aim of the OS Project should be to grow our commercial and supporter base. It is the prospect not of our present capacities which strikes fear and anger into the hearts of the Tottenham Board, but our potential for commercial growth.

In that context Public Relations do matter. If we want to make people feel comfortable about adopting the mantle and heritage of our great club then making the public discourse positive and favourable does become a consideration. We want to continue our traditions as an inclusive, family orientated club. To that extent showing that we are open and generous enough to extend a helping hand to one of our rivals, in Chelsea, may ironically allow us to, in the future, become genuine competitors with them.

COYI

David Griffith

PS I am off to Northumberland/Scotland for a couple of weeks so hopefully normal service will be resumed in June.

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