Daily WHUFC News - 1st June 2017

Fonte - It's an opportunity to get another title
WHUFC.com

Jose Fonte has been included in Portugal's provisional 24-man squad for the FIFA Confederations Cup. The West Ham United defender is one of 16 members of Portugal's 23-man UEFA Euro 2016-winning squad to be included for the tournament, which will take place in Russia between 17 June-2 July, as a prelude to next summer's FIFA World Cup finals. Portugal and Fonte will hope they can continue the amazing run of form and fortune that carried them to glory in France last year. "It's going to be a good test against good teams," Fonte told whufc.com. "I'm excited for this Confederations Cup because it's an opportunity to get another title – it's as simple as that. We look forward to it. "We will have no rest again this summer, which is tough, because I haven't had more than three weeks off in the last three years, so I need to negotiate with the manager if he can give me four this summer! "Hopefully he will, because it's important to rest. Too much water kills the plant so it's important to rest as well. We will get there when the time comes."

At Euro 2016, with Fonte initially on the bench, Portugal drew their three group-stage matches with Iceland, Austria and Hungary before the then-Southampton man was called in to replace Ricardo Carvalho for the knockout stages. With Fonte in imperious form alongside Real Madrid's Pepe, Portugal beat Croatia 1-0 after extra-time, Poland on penalties, James Collins' Wales 2-0 and hosts France 1-0, again extra-time, to lift the trophy for the first time in their history. Incidentally, the men who scored the winning goals against Croatia and France, Renato Sanches and Eder, are among the seven Euro 2016 winners not included in Fernando Santos' squad for the Confederations Cup. The 24 will be reduced to a final 23 prior to the tournament.

The European champions will kick-off their tournament by taking on CONCACAF Gold Cup winners Mexico in Kazan on Sunday 18 June, before tackling hosts Russia in Moscow on Wednesday 21 June. Their Group A slate is completed with a clash with OFC Nations Cup holders New Zealand – without the injured Winston Reid – in Saint Petersburg on Saturday 24 June. Should Portugal progress, they will contest a semi-final on either 28 or 29 June, with the final and match for third place being held on 2 July in Saint Petersburg and Moscow respectively. The tournament will be screened live in the UK by ITV. Prior to the Confederations Cup, Portugal will host Cyprus in a friendly international in Estoril on Saturday 3 June, before travelling to Latvia for a FIFA World Cup qualifier on Friday 9 June.

Fonte and company currently sit second in Group B with 12 points from five matches played, three points behind leaders Switzerland and five ahead of third-place Hungary.

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Big Man expecting little one!
WHUFC.com

West Ham United striker Andy Carroll and fiancee Billi Mucklow are expecting their second child together! The Hammers centre forward, Billi, their son Arlo and Carroll's two older children are currently on holiday in Dubai, from where the former reality TV star posted an image on Instagram announcing that another 'Baby Carroll' is on the way. Carroll told whufc.com he cannot wait to be a father again, saying: "We are all really happy about the news. I've got all three of my kids here with us in Dubai right now and all of them are excited for the new one's arrival!" Carroll is not the only Hammer celebrating fatherhood, as teammate Adrian recently welcomed his second son Eric into the world earlier this month. The Spanish goalkeeper and wife Tamara had their first child, Enzo, in their home city of Seville in January 2016. The little man joined his famous father on the pitch at London Stadium as part of the official opening of West Ham's new home last August.

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Season Ticket relocation process to begin
WHUFC.com

With the deadline for Season Ticket renewals having now passed, the Club would like to confirm the process for the two-week relocation period, which will take place from 1-15 June.

As we have always stressed, supporters wishing to retain their existing seat when renewing of course have the right to do so, and with the renewal rate extremely high, seat relocations will be strictly subject to availability.

For renewing Season Ticket Holders, seat relocations will be prioritised by how early you renewed, which the Ticket Office hold a record of.

As previously explained, there are some priority cases where exceptional circumstances exist, such as accessibility requirements and a group of supporters who had to move out of Block 114 in order to increase the size of the segregation line.

Those Season Ticket holders requesting to relocate will be allocated a relocation window in line with when you renewed. You will receive an email notification of your relocation window, advising when you can call the Ticket Office.

The relocation phase will be a busy period for the Club and we would therefore ask that you only contact us once your window has opened. Supporters calling earlier will be politely requested to call back at their designated time.

Once the relocation period has ended on 15 June, the limited number of available Season Tickets will then go on sale to supporters on the Waiting List from Friday 16 June.

FAQs

I am in a group of Season Ticket Holders, can we relocate together?
Due to seat availability, you will have more chance of relocating if moving in singles or pairs. Groups wishing to relocate will only be able to select in the window for the group member who renewed at the latest point, so as to not disadvantage others. Please make sure you have to hand all client references, names, and postcodes within the group.

Can I relocate to a different price band?
Yes, if your relocation falls into a different price band, the difference in cost will either be refunded or required to be paid in full immediately. As there will be no access to the stadium seating bowl during relocations, supporters are reminded to familiarise themselves with the stadium seating blocks and price bands ahead of their window. You can view our stadium map and pricing by clicking here.

What will I need when calling the Ticket Office about my relocation?
It is important to have your client reference number and postcode to hand and you should have an idea about the location within the stadium you are wishing to relocate to. If you relocate to a higher price band you will need payment details to pay the difference immediately. In the interest of fairness, seats cannot be placed on reserve.

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Club announce record Season Ticket renewals
WHUFC.com

West Ham United are delighted to announce a Club record number of Season Ticket renewals for the 2017/18 Premier League campaign.

At Wednesday's 5pm deadline, over 90% of the 52,000 Season Ticket holders at London Stadium had renewed, with the phonelines still ringing with supporters wishing to retain their seat.

With supporters on the Season Ticket Waiting List (click here to join) having already registered their desire to purchase the limited number of remaining available seats, the Club are on course for another record breaking early sell-out as we approach our second season at London Stadium.

This will again see West Ham United boasting the highest number of Season Ticket holders of any Club in the capital.

Joint-Chairman David Sullivan said: "Once again, our supporters have shown magnificent commitment and devotion to West Ham United.

"When we took the decision to move our football club to London Stadium, we did so with the belief and confidence that our fanbase was deserving of a bigger and better stage.

"The Season Ticket renewal figure for next season only serves to emphasise that fact, but I am still amazed and overwhelmed by the loyalty and dedication of our supporters.

"They have followed us through thick and thin, and shown tremendous faith throughout the first season at our new home.

"Our focus now is to do everything we can to reward that faith with success on the pitch next season."

With the renewal deadline now passed, tomorrow will see the start of a two-week period of seat relocations, before the limited number of available Season Tickets go on sale to the Waiting List on June 16.

As we have always stressed, supporters wishing to retain their existing seat when renewing of course have the right to do so, and with the renewal rate extremely high, seat relocations will be strictly subject to availability.

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SHOULD I STAY I SHOULD I GO? (PART 1 – THE GOALKEEPERS)
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 31 MAY 2017 AT 1:45PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by Steve Claydon @trbeat

With the season in the books, I thought it was a good time to have a review of the team based on positions. I'm going to focus less on transfers and who explicitly we might want to consider, and more on do we stick or twist on some of the players we have right now and how those decisions might impact the team as a whole

So welcome to part 1 of 4 part series that I am calling Should I stay or Should I go?

This episode I am focusing on our keepers.

Our goalkeepers:

1 Darren Randolph

13 Adrian

34 Raphael Spiegel

Let's start with a rating. Would anyone be mad with a C? While there were a few games the keepers held their own, in general, both Adrian and Randolph were a disappointment. I never felt truly comfortable with either of them, except Adrian's second stint between the sticks. Which coincided with an uptick in our results.

Adrian

Adrian started the year off poorly with mistakes that led to his downfall. The key one being going walkabout in the Stoke game that cost us points. The thing I noticed about him in the early part of the season, was that he had the air of eccentricity; every save was exaggerated, there was a lack of calm about his play, and he made many poor decisions that cost us goals, points and games. I did and do like his commitment though. He is a Hammer. Who can forget the Everton cup game?

I was very vocal in calling for him to be benched, and during the time he was something clearly changed. When he was given the opportunity again, he seemed to come back a changed man and player. He was methodical, focused and his play, in general, was efficient, something we need from a starter. A full year of this and instead of him costing us 6 to 8 points, I believe he will save us 6 to 8 points.

Randolph

Moving on to Randolph. When he came in for Adrian, I thought we were going to see the team turn around. And there were a couple of games where his skills kept us in games, but I always felt he lacked something and that "something", in my eyes, was commanding his area and organising the back four or five. I always felt he was playing the role of the goalkeeper at school; the last one picked gets to go in goal. I did, you did it, we all did it, we played that goalkeeper role but felt a little on the outside. Clearly, Randolph is not an oversight, but I want my team to have a strong spine, and that spine starts with a dominant, focussed and organised goalkeeper. I am just not sure that Randolph has all those qualities.

Spiegel

Not having access to 2nd team games I am not sure how many games Spiegel has played or how well he has played in those games, but he has represented his country at u17, u19 and u21 level, so there must be something that intrigues us. Either way, I don't see him getting much first team action anytime soon but will remain as an understudy to Adrian and whoever our second team choice is.

As I write this, we just exercised the option to sign Adrian for a further two years. Many reports are indicating that we might use him as a makeweight to sign someone else, specifically Sunderland's Pickford.

I am not convinced this is the plan. Bilic has said many times that he was happy with the goalkeepers, and those statements might have been angled at keeping the confidence levels up as opposed to reality. However, I do think Adrian will stay, and I also believe Randolph will be moved on. Randolph will have some value on the open market, even if it is just a few million. We will then look to buy a new backup to Adrian. I don't think we are in the market for an expensive starter whether that be someone like Pickford or Hart.

While our transfer kitty will be somewhat decent, I can't see us spending a huge chunk of change on a goalkeeper or stumping up a considerable amount of money for a salary.

But that's not to say we don't need some quality in this position. I just see us using that money on a couple of forwards, better wide players and maybe another defensive midfield player, along with some quality backups.

So now you know my views for this position. Keep Adrian, look for a better backup and keep Spiegel in reserve. I will be disappointed if we don't freshen up that spot a little. If Adrian stumbles again, I am not sure I have the confidence that Randolph will do the job we need. I'm not excited by him. We need someone with more passion.

See you in a week or two where I'll focus on our defenders and discuss our quality, depth, and the youngsters we have.

I hope we don't make some poor decisions like we did last year (James Tomkins) on who to keep and who should go.

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TALENTED MARTIN SAMUELSEN TO TAKE CENTRE STAGE
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 31 MAY 2017 AT 1:20PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by @farehamhammer

The first time I saw Martin Samuelsen my first reaction was: "Your Mum should not allow you out after dark!" So youthful was Samuelsen's appearance but make no mistake about it, Martin Samuelsen's football pedigree is first class. It is easy to see why the supremely talented Samuelsen, was so sought after as a young prodigy. The likes of Chelsea, Real Madrid were all after the young Norwegian international. Someone of Samuelsen's natural ability, need very little coaching, it is more a case of guiding them. Football at its best, is a game of beauty and intelligence, artistry over brawn. That personifies Martin Samuelsen at his best.

The elegant Samuelsen, can play anywhere across the middle, as well as the classic number 9 or 10. Although I will confess, I never tire of watching his goal against Sheffield United, while on loan for Peterborough. Samuelsen, cuts in from the left, turns the Sheffield United defence inside out then BANG! In the far corner of the net goes the ball! Poetry in motion! A West Ham player if ever I've seen one!

It was Yossi Benayoun, who once said "I need to feel the ball", likewise with Samuelsen. To get the best out of Samuelsen, he needs the ball at his feet. Following his last couple of loans, some have said that he is too 'lightweight' for the Premier League. They said exactly the same about Yossi Benayoun and Manuel Lanzini. Some would say the same about Lionel Messi. However, you can have all the talent in the world but as in life, when given chances in football you have got to take them.

Some will point out, that Samuelsen's loans at Blackburn Rovers and Peterborough have not been very successful, which can be for a variety of reasons though. The style of football a club plays, may not be suitable for the way a player plays his game. A sudden change of manager, a club in financial turmoil, unrest in a dressing room .When placing a player on loan, a club must be very careful who they send a player out on loan too. Especially someone like Samuelsen, who is obviously a confidence player. What Grant McCann, the Peterborough manager was up to, when going public and saying: "Martin Samuelsen has lost all confidence "God only knows!

It's a manager's job to give a player confidence! So where to now for Martin Samuelsen? Well it's the first time in three seasons, that The Club will be able to have a proper pre-season. At some point Samuelsen, will get a chance in pre-season to impress the manager. He has got to take those chances, talent wise he is one of the best at The Club. So there is absolutely no reason why he should not make his mark. Having just turned 20, Samuelsen has to be in and around the first team squad.

I do not think sending him out on another loan at 20 is the answer. The Club needs to take a leaf out of Southampton Football Club's books as far as bringing on the youth is concerned. They don't send their youngsters out on loan after loan, 16, 17, 18.They are given first team opportunities, and kept working with the first team squad. Giving them the chance to develop a first team mentality. One or two bad games? Discard them? Not on your life! It's about helping a footballer mature as an adult and footballer. That is one of the reason why the South Coast Club has made millions from transfers. Who knows if we had kept Martin Samuelsen in the first team squad last season, we would not have spent millions on the likes of Robert Snodgrass. It's make or break time this season for Martin Samuelsen, For West Ham and Martin Samuelsen's sake, I hope he not only grasp his chances, but lights up The London Stadium. Shine Martin …shine. We are more than a football club, we're a way of life! COYI!!

Farehamhammer!!!

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West Ham target Michy Batshuayi open to leaving Chelsea on loan
ALEX YOUNG
Evening Standard

Michy Batshuayi is open to leaving Chelsea on loan in the search for more first-team football, with West Ham keen on the striker. The striker endured a frustrating first season at Stamford Bridge with just one Premier League start - coming after Chelsea had confirmed the title. Despite a reduced role, Batushuayi scored four goals in his final three league games and finished the season with a record of scoring every 47 minutes. The 23-year-old is a summer loan target for West Ham with Slaven Bilic failing with a bid last summer and Batshuayi is happy to accept any offer Chelsea deem suitable. "Honestly, I'm not trying to think too much [about my future]," Batshuayi told Belgian outlet Het Nieuwsblad. "It will be up to the board and the coach to decide. I'm the player, I go where Chelsea send me."
Chelsea have already lost two players ahead of the summer transfer window officially opening. Second-choice goalkeeper Asmir Begovic has joined Bournemouth in a deal worth up to £10 million, while wantaway youth prospect Dominic Solanke will become a Liverpool player on July 1.

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Slaven Bilic: West Ham will benefit a lot from first season at London Stadium
JAMES BENGE
Evening Stadanrd

Slaven Bilic is convinced that the difficulties West Ham faced in their first year at the London Stadium will aid his squad in the coming season. West Ham endured growing pains in their new stadium after their spectacular farewell to the Boleyn Ground, winning just seven league games at home as they battled to an 11th placed finish. To further heap misery on Bilic star player Dimitri Payet went on strike to engineer a move to Marseille and he was hamstrung by a string of injuries to key players. The Hammers have already begun plotting their revival for next season, bringing in Pablo Zabaleta on a free transfer from Manchester City and making a £20million bid for his team-mate, 20-year-old striker Kelechi Iheanacho. Bilic, entering the final season of his three-year contract, is eager to get the new campaign underway. "I have two heads because I need to rest but the other part of me can't wait for the season to start because I really feel we will benefit from this season a lot," he told the West Ham club website. West Ham fans will likely have been glad to see the season come to an end particularly after struggling to settle away from Upton Park. Even during West Ham's worst run of form, when co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold were publicly demanding an improvement in form, the Hammers supporters stood by the boss.

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The inside story behind Toni Martinez's journey from Valencia to West Ham as striker's progress haunts La Liga side
West Ham striker Toni Martinez is exciting fans and his rise to prominence could be complete with a first-team place next season
Football London
BYANDREW GAFFNEY
11:45, 31 MAY 2017UPDATED11:47, 31 MAY 2017

The Premier League has often been the second home for many Spanish players but not when it comes to strikers. They are generally considered too small or slight to succeed with the hustle and bustle of the English game, see Iago Aspas, but there are still players who buck the trend. Diego Costa scored 20 League goals to help fire Chelsea to the Premier League title whereas at the bottom Fernando Llorente was key in Swansea avoiding relegation. Could young Toni Martinez add his name to that list and become the Spaniard to lead West Ham's forward line in the years to come?
Ever since Martinez swapped Valencia for London, he's generated a fair amount of buzz. In a time where it appears West Ham are in danger of losing their identity, moving to a new stadium and searching for big name strikers, the emergence of young talent such as Toni could mean their future will be brighter – if they're crucially given a chance. David Gold's comments about it being hard for teenagers to get minutes were hardly encouraging to those youngsters desperate for a chance. It isn't like those 'seasoned internationals' set the Premier League alight either. While the loan system can be an important tool in a player's development, it isn't the only option. If they're good enough, they're old enough.
When Martinez left Valencia it left distinctive marks on both the fan base as well as the academy director Jose Ramos Alesanco. The fans were largely upset at the selling of a potential star as Valencia is a club steeped with history of bringing through youth prospects. They also felt the fee was on the small side. Despite original reports putting the cost at €3m it turned out to be closer to €1m, plus a load of bonuses. They also have first option should West Ham wish to sell him. On the other side, Alesanco, was happy to accept a decent fee for a player who he didn't see as someone who could make it at the top in Valencia. He saw potential but not enough to justify fighting to keep the player at the club. Martinez, perhaps in part due to this 'it's up to you' attitude and a lack of minutes under Curro Torres, decided the chance to join a Premier League club was too good to turn down.
Anyone who has seen Martinez play will know he's physically more suited to the Premier League than he was La Liga. After a bright start to his career at Valencia he struggled to have the same influence with Valencia Mestalla. West Ham's scouts saw the raw potential and after a positive response from the player's representative made a bid for the young forward's services. A deal suited both parties.
For a striker he didn't score an incredible amount of goals at Valencia and that could've caused some people to think he isn't a good forward. That would be short-sighted as he's got plenty about him and with the right service knows where the back of the net is.

West Ham fans should be excited by the progression Martinez has made in his short time at the club. 10 goals in his 11 Premier League 2 appearances is a fantastic return. Especially when you consider this is his first full season in England, adapting to a new system and learning a new language. His loan spell out at Oxford didn't work out as well as intended but he did score against Middlesbrough and Newcastle in the FA Cup. Not content with that he then returned to West Ham and scored a brace to see them defeat Newcastle and earn a place in Division One of the Premier League 2. It would be a travesty if his improvement and fine form for the Under-23s didn't see him given a chance to link up with the first team during preseason.
The next logical question is: Could Martinez do a job for West Ham in the not so distant future? Those who know the player from his time at Valencia would tell you yes. The biggest concern was adapting to the physical side of the game but that hasn't proven to be an issue. If anything, he's embraced it and become a better player because of that. There's an underlying confidence to Martinez and it's serving him well in England. The fact Ashley Fletcher gained valuable Premier League minutes this season indicates that if Martinez continues his progression then he'll be given a chance at West Ham next year. While those who currently occupy the striker positions at the club cost a great deal more, none of them would fall into the 'keep at all costs' category. As an option off the bench, Martinez would be great.
No one at Valencia wishes anything but the best for the youngster. Valencia fans are always happy to see academy players do well but ideally at the club itself. Although, of course, should he become a household name then that happiness might turn into anger towards the fact they let Martinez go on the cheap. West Ham fans should be excited by the future and the success of their Under-23 side. Far too many have joined the club in recent years for a decent pay day and then wandered off into the wilderness. Mark Noble is loved, flaws and all, because of how much representing West Ham means to him. If you give the kids a chance to impress you'll only increase their own bond with the club. Ignoring them for more of the same would be disappointing. Let's hope the chairman's comments prove to be the biggest motivational speech for the academy lads as opposed to sentencing them to loan deal after loan deal. The kids are alright.

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Newcastle, Everton, West Ham - which loan deal would suit Chelsea's Michy Batshuayi best?
The Belgian international is reportedly open to a loan move away from the Blues
Football London
BYADAM JONES
11:18, 31 MAY 2017

Michy Batshuayi is one of the hot topics surrounding Chelsea in the early stages of this transfer window. The Belgian international turned out to be pretty instrumental to the Blues season in the latter stages - scoring the goal against West Brom which confirmed that Antonio Conte's side won the title. And, let's be honest, a Premier League goal every 47 minutes of action is a pretty fantastic return.
But, due to lack of game time, Batshuayi is reportedly open to at least a loan move away from Chelsea - with Newcastle, Everton and West Ham all credited with interest.

We've had a look at each club's credentials - and seen which one would suit Batshuayi the best.

Newcastle United

Newly-promoted Newcastle will be doing absolutely everything in their power to keep the club in the Premier League this time around.
With Rafael Benitez at the helm for (presumably) the entire campaign this time around - you'd be brave to bet against them staying in the top division. In fact, Magpies fans will probably be targeting at least a mid-table finish, and that ambition could well be tempting to Batshuayi. Of course, playing under a manager like Rafael Benitez could also be a massive factor - we've already seen how well the Spaniard can manage top strikers like Fernando Torres. And, of course, let's not forget the adoration that Newcastle supporters often give to their front men. Dwight Gayle would provide the main competition for Batshuayi, but you have to presume the Belgian international is in another league to the Magpies' current lead striker. The only downside is the fact that Newcastle are a newly-promoted side. Will Batshuayi be able to look beyond that and ignore the interest from other sides in the league?

Everton

Well, this strictly depends on one thing really - whether Romelu Lukaku stays at the club. If the Belgian international does indeed stay with the Toffees, then you can't really expect Batshuayi to be able to oust him - but you never know. He would no doubt get more chances than he did this season at Chelsea in any case, with Everton needing a much bigger squad now that they have European football to contend with. It's also worth noting that the Toffees bascially don't have a senior striker other than Lukaku right now. Arouna Kone's contract has run out, Enner Valencia has returned to West Ham and Oumar Niasse is almost certainly ready to be shown the exit door. The only competition that Batshuayi would face would be the impressive Dominic Calvert-Lewin and any other youngsters that Ronald Koeman decides to bring through. Not only that, but the service that the 23-year-old would be getting from the likes of Tom Davies, Kevin Mirallas and (possibly) Ross Barkley would surely be enough to convince any striker to make the move. Of course, if Lukaku were to leave, then you'd have to say that a move to Goodison Park would easily provide Michy Batshuayi his best challenge away from Chelsea.
Regularly playing for a side hunting down the Premier League top six and also involved in European football? What more could a developing player want?

West Ham United

There's no doubt about it, West Ham United absolutely need a striker - well, one that can regularly keep himself out of the injury room at the very least. Whilst Michy Batshuayi didn't actually get a lot of game-time last season, it wasn't injury that was keeping him on the bench. So West Ham would certainly appreciate a striker who can lead their line on a consistent basis - and one who is Premier League proven is obviously going to be an advantage for them. And, for the Belgian international too, again you can see the benefits.
West Ham offers the chance for the 23-year-old to stay in London at the very least. But, also, with Andre Ayew and the chronically injured Andy Carroll his main competition with the Hammers - you'd have to expect Michy Batshuayi will be starting a lot of games.
But, the question is, where will West Ham finish? There are doubts over the future of Slaven Bilic, and any new manager could potentially take a dislike to Batshuayi. There might just be too many risks surrounding this deal to make it a good idea for the Chelsea man - but it's still an interesting prospect for him.

Verdict

All clubs can honestly consider themselves to have a strong case to sign Batshuayi on loan - but it's hard to look past Everton as the best bet. Not only would the 23-year-old be playing at a higher level of football in the Premier League with Ronald Koeman's side, but the Toffees will also have a European campaign in the Europa League next season. That puts them just a step above West Ham and Newcastle in the running - even if the unlikely scenario occurs and Romelu Lukaku does stay with Everton for another season.

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West Ham unveil ambitious plans
shekicks.net

West Ham say they have made dramatic improvements to their infrastructure and have ambitious plans to reach WSL1 within five years.

The Hammers finished ninth in the FAWPL Southern Division this season, in a campaign that saw them brought 'in-house' by West Ham, and now an injection of investment and several key full-time appointments are set to propel the team to new heights, says whufc.com

In his first full-time role at the club, Jack Sullivan, son of Joint-Chairman David, has been appointed managing director, whilst former player and current coach Karen Ray takes up the full-time position of general manager.

Furthermore, current first-team manager Greg de Carnys has left his role as Academy head of performance to take up a full-time role looking after the Ladies' first team and Academy.

Jack Sullivan said: "This is a massive project of great importance to West Ham United. We have some exciting plans and huge expectations ... and we hope that within five years we can be challenging in FA WSL 1.

"For me personally it's a huge project and something I can't wait to get started on. Whilst I will not be taking a wage, I am excited to be taking on my first full-time role at West Ham United and looking forward to the challenges ahead.

"We hope to make huge strides this summer before the new season starts, and plan to unveil a key player signing, with WSL experience, in the coming weeks."

Karen Ray said: "I am delighted we are able to offer young girls the opportunity to develop as players and people with the new infrastructure that highlights the club's dedication to grow women's football, with the support of West Ham United Foundation.

"We are very passionate about building a sustainable and successful plan that will see us develop a world-class talent pathway for girls of all ages that aligns with the club's overall ambitions."

Greg de Carnys said: "These are exciting times to be involved with West Ham United Ladies - the club has shown outstanding support for our long term vision and I can't wait to get started.

"We already have a talented young squad that believes in what we're doing and they're gaining experience all the time. With a few new additions and investment in the right areas I hope we can build a successful and sustainable future for the club over the next five years."

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West Ham interested in German striker Max Kruse
HITC
Vincent Ralph

West Ham United are allegedly interested in bringing the forward to the London Stadium this summer. According to a report from Wednesday's print edition of Sport Bild (31/05/2017) and later posted online by German website Weser Kurier, West Ham United are among the clubs interested in signing Werder Bremen's Max Kruse this summer. The 29-year-old only arrived at the club last summer but he has enjoyed an impressive campaign, scoring 15 goals and providing seven assists in just 23 appearances. His figures would no doubt have been better were it not for an untimely ligament injury upon his return to the club where he started his career as a youth player.
Given his impact after his return to Bremen it remains to be seen what will happen this summer, although with an alleged promise between the club and the player that he will be allowed to leave if an offer of £10.4million arrives, West Ham could nab themselves something of a bargain. Kruse may be approaching his thirtieth birthday yet he proved this season that he still has plenty to offer in front of goal and he would definitely be an upgrade on the level of striker West Ham signed last summer - namely Jonathan Calleri and Simone Zaza. Kruse may feel he has one big move left in him and if he does fancy a shot at the Premier League West Ham could be the perfect place for the 14-capped Germany international. It is sure to be a busy summer at the London Stadium and West Ham manager Slaven Bilic will know that signing a proven goal-scorer for just over £10million could be a deal too good to refuse.

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