Daily WHUFC News - 31st May 2013

Alans delight at Bonds award
WHUFC.com
Two former team-mates of the great Billy Bonds MBE praise the Lifetime
Achievement Award winner
30.05.2013

Two former team-mates of the great Billy Bonds MBE have praised West Ham
United's first-ever Lifetime Achievement Award winner. Former Hammers
striker Alan Taylor and winger Alan Devonshire lined-up alongside Bonds
hundreds of times in claret and blue, starring as the captain lifted the FA
Cup in 1975 and 1980 respectively. Speaking exclusively to West Ham TV,
Taylor and Devonshire said the Club had made the right decision in honouring
the four-times Hammer of the Year at the recent 2013 Player Awards at
London's Grosvenor House Hotel. "I can always remember when I first came to
the Club and I was just 21 and Billy took me under his wing, if you like,"
recalled Taylor, who was just 21 when his two goals carried West Ham to FA
Cup glory against Fulham at Wembley in 1975. "You couldn't get a better
professional. He was so dedicated and he was a great bloke as well. He was a
leader. Billy always used to gee you up and, if things weren't going right
for you, you could always rely on Billy coming up and having a quiet word
with you. His experience was a great help to me when I first came to the
Club. "Before the 1975 FA Cup final, because of what I had done in the
previous couple of games [scoring twice in the quarter-final and semi-final
victories], he was always behind me and talking to me and supporting me. "I
played mainly down that [right-hand] side and BIlly was behind me and,
believe me, when you had him there he was always encouraging you, telling
you to take players on and talking to you throughout the game."

Taylor said he was not surprised that Bonds was still playing for West Ham
and winning Hammer of the Year awards past his 40th birthday, such was his
dedication and work ethic. "You couldn't ask for a better professional or a
nicer guy. Billy was always strong in the tackle. He would always be a
ball-winner for us in the middle of the park and, best of all, he was a
leader. "It is all credit to Billy [that he played forWest Ham for so long]
because he was dedicated to the Club and he was part of the history and will
always be remembered."

Devonshire, whose cross led to Trevor Brooking's winner in the 1980 FA Cup
final victory over Arsenal, echoed Taylor's sentiments about the man who
made 794 appearances for West Ham over 21 glorious years. Even if Bonds did
leave a few bruises on Devonshire during training, the winger was grateful
for the protection he was afforded by the great man on a Saturday afternoon.
"Billy gave 110 per cent in every game he played," said the Braintree Town
manager. "I first got into the side and played on the right-hand side of
midfield and Billy played at right-back, and it was like having your Dad
look after you. "If someone whacked me, he would go to their player and say
'Don't do that again, or else I'll kick you!'. It was like having my Dad out
there because he looked after me.
"He was just as committed in training every day. He always used to pick me
to kick! Every day we trained we had a battle - he was that committed."

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Season in Seconds: Ricardo Vaz Te
WHUFC.com
West Ham United winger Ricardo Vaz Te is the latest to go under the
spotlight
30.05.2013

Ricardo Vaz Te reveals his best moments of the 2012/13 season in the latest
instalment of whufc.com's Season in Seconds feature. The full interview
first appeared on West Ham TV and can be viewed by clicking here.

How would you sum up the season in a few words?

RVT - "Bang on really. We achieved what we set out to do, which was finish
in the top ten - it may have seemed optimistic at the start of the season,
but over the course of the year we deserved it."

What was your highlight of the season?

RVT - "My highlight of the season? I don't know really, just that we did
what we set out to do. Overall, that's the main thing."

What was your best performance of the season?

RVT - "I think that would have been against Fulham at home in the early part
of the season. I think we dominated and I felt that I had a huge impact on
the game, I created the goals and we collected the three points, which was
the main thing. It was a derby for us, and that would be my best moment."

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Come and join us, Joe Cole tells Andy Carroll
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 30th May 2013
By: Staff Writer

Joe Cole has told Andy Carroll to join West Ham on a permanent basis. Cole -
who followed Carroll to the Boleyn Ground from Anfield in the last January
transfer window - has urged the England international to return to West Ham
on a permanent basis, following his season-long loan spell last year. "If I
was him, I'd be wanting to stay at West Ham," Cole told SSN. "The lads love
him and the fans have taken to him. If he keeps himself fit he can get 20 to
30 goals next season. "We play to suit him; we play around him," continued
the 31-year-old midfielder. "We try to get good quality balls into the box
for him, and that is going to be valuable." West Ham and Liverpool have
already agreed a fee in the region of £15million for the 24-year-old
striker, who scored seven times for the Hammers during his season in east
London.

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Joe Cole advises Andy Carroll to join West Ham from Liverpool
Last Updated: May 30, 2013 9:22am
SSN

Joe Cole believes West Ham United is the best place for Andy Carroll and has
tipped the striker to score 20 to 30 goals for the club next season. Carroll
joined the Hammers on a year-long loan from Liverpool last summer and a deal
has been agreed between the clubs for a permanent move. His future has yet
to be confirmed as other teams could still be interested but Liverpool
manager Brendan Rodgers recently declared that he expected the issue to be
resolved quickly.
Cole, who made the move from Anfield to Upton Park in January, feels Carroll
should follow his example and sign a permanent deal with West Ham. "If I was
him, I'd be wanting to stay at West Ham. The lads love him and the fans have
taken to him." The midfielder thinks Carroll can flourish if he stays at
the club and be one of the most prolific forwards in the Premier League next
season. "We play to suit him. We play around him," Cole said. "We try to get
good quality balls into the box for him, and that is going to be valuable.
"If I was him, I'd be wanting to stay at West Ham. The lads love him and the
fans have taken to him. "If he keeps himself fit he can get 20 to 30 goals
next season."

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Manchester City's Abdisalam Ibrahim flattered by reported interest
Last Updated: May 30, 2013 1:59pm
SSN

Manchester City starlet Abdisalam Ibrahim admits he is flattered to be
linked with other Premier League clubs. The highly-rated midfielder is
currently on loan at Stromsgodset until the end of the Norwegian season and
he has been earning rave reviews during his stint in Norway. A host of
Premier League clubs including Arsenal, Liverpool, Fulham, Swansea and West
Ham are all thought to be keeping tabs on Ibrahim's progress with the player
entering the final year of his contract at Manchester City. Ibrahim's
suitors are expected to watch the powerful midfielder in action for Norway
at this summer's Under 21 European Championship in Israel with the
Norwegians drawn in the same group as England. Ibrahim is planning to hold
talks with City over his future this summer and he admits it is an honour to
be linked with boyhood heroes Arsenal, but says he is focused on the
European Championship with Norway "I'm very flattered to be linked with
Arsenal, I grew up as an Arsenal fan and my hero was Patrick Vieira when he
was playing there," Ibrahim told Sky Sports. "I would be very honoured to
play for Arsenal and it would be all my dreams come true to work with Arsene
Wenger. "He has developed so many young players over the years and gave them
chances in the first team but at the moment my focus now is doing very well
in the Under 21 European Championship next month in Israel with my national
team and hopefully try and win the tournament. "We will see what happens in
the next couple of months about my future as I'm contracted to Manchester
City for another year. "I'm open to extending my new deal, but I'd like to
meet the new manager if it's [Manuel] Pelligrini and see what he has to say.
"I'm 22 years old now and I want to be playing week in, week out in the
Premier League."

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