Daily WHUFC News - 10th May 2017

Captain Rice hails unbelievable comeback
WHUFC.com

PL2 captain, Declan Rice led his side into the 2016/17 PL2 Play-Off Final following the 2-1 comeback win over Wolves on Monday evening
The win means West Ham will play Newcastle United at St James' Park for a place in PL2 Division One next season
Rice has consistently impressed this season and is now enjoying a run in Slaven Bilic's 1st Team match day squad.

West Ham United's PL2 captain Declan Rice described his side's last minute Play-off Semi Final win over Wolverhampton Wanderers as unbelievable. The Hammers came from behind on Monday evening, with Martin Samuelsen's stoppage time penalty settling a dramatic tie at Molineux. Rice played a starring role in the win, with a dominant display at the back combined with two killer through balls which led to both goals. "We went 1-0 down when we shouldn't have and Terry [Westley] just said 'keep going' because we were dominating the game" the defender explained. The Hammers went in at the break 1-0 down after Wolves' Sylvain Deslandes headed in from close range, but a resilient and determined second half display by West Ham was eventually rewarded through goals from Jahmal Hector-Ingram and Samuelsen.

Rice speaking after the Wolves win"It's unbelievable. I said to the boys at the end there, that's the best we've grafted out and tried getting a result. It's one of the best feelings I've had all season. "Terry warned me and Tunji [Akinola] that we'd be coming up against really strong, physical strikers. I've played against them before and I know how to deal with them, it's nothing different. I thought I played well and I was really pleased with my performance."

The win means West Ham are through to the PL2 Play-Off Final where a place in next year's Division 1 is the reward for the winner. After beating Fulham 2-0 on Monday evening, it is Newcastle United who the Hammers will face in next week's final. In two previous trips to St James' Park, the Hammers have failed to come away with all the points, but Rice says the boys are still confident: "It's definitely [unfinished business]. Rice with 1st Team on Friday"The times we've gone up there, we've come away with a point and we've lost but both times, we've dominated the game so we've got to go up there and get promoted."

The Irish U19 international is quickly becoming the focus of plenty of attention following his impressive season with the PL2 side. Rice has trained regularly with the 1st Team in 2017 and manager Slaven Bilic has selected the defender in four of his Premier League match day squads, the latest being Friday's 1-0 win over Tottenham. "Friday night was one of the best experiences that I've ever been a part of" Rice said. "It was buzzing, the fans, everything was rocking. Just being a part of the team for a couple of games – four games now, they've really taken to me, bringing me in with the staff, Nobes has been very good and the lads have been excellent with me to be fair."

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Kouyate - We won it for Slav
WHUFC.com

Cheikhou Kouyate says victory over Tottenham Hotspur provided a welcome boost for manager Slaven Bilic
West Ham United defeated Spurs 1-0 at London Stadium on Friday evening to secure Premier League status
Senegal midfielder says Hammers are targeting a top-ten finish ahead of Sunday's meeting with Liverpool

Cheikhou Kouyate said the West Ham United squad were delighted for manager Slaven Bilic after beating Tottenham Hotspur on Friday evening. The No8 and his teammates went into the game knowing victory would not only dent Spurs' title chances, ensure the Hammers' Premier League status and send the Claret and Blue Army home happy, but also give manager Bilic a welcome boost. The boss had been asked repeatedly about his future during a challenging campaign, but Kouyate hopes a deserved win over an in-form Tottenham will silence any remaining critics. "Despite all the speculation, Slaven was very confident before the game," the Sengal captain began. "We were right behind him the entire way. He said before the match that this was like a final for us and so we are very happy that we've won it for him."

Kouyate was at his influential best against Tottenham, contributing at both ends of the pitch with three shots, three clearances, three interceptions, a tackle and key pass and 38 touches of the ball. "We knew this game would be very difficult, but we also knew before the game that we needed to win it," he continued. "We know that a derby is not a match you can joke about – it is a match we had to win.
"We also knew that Tottenham had to win maintain their shot at becoming the champion, but we also needed the win because we knew it was a matter of life and death when it came to our survival. "We gave everything and at the end we got the win we deserved after the work we have put in over the last three weeks." "We obviously knew we lost a lot of points before in the other matches and we had to make up for that."

Next up for the Hammers is the visit of another of the Premier League's high-fliers to London Stadium in the shape of third-place Liverpool. Having drawn 2-2 at Anfield before Christmas, and beaten Jurgen Klopp's side three times last season, Kouyate and company know they have the quality to defeat the Reds again on Sunday afternoon. However, the 27-year-old also knows West Ham will need to reach the same levels they reached against Tottenham if they are to sign-off the season with another memorable home win. "The objective for us for the remainder of the season is to get as many points as possible," Kouyate confirmed. "We know that finishing as high as ninth or tenth is still possible. "We have Liverpool on Saturday, and we know it won't be easy, but we will give everything until the end."

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Carroll and Fernandes scoop Player Awards
WHUFC.com

Andy Carroll wins Goal of the Season prize for his bicycle kick against Crystal Palace at London Stadium

Darren Randolph scoops Save of the Season, with Edimilson Fernandes winning Signing of the Season

Teenagers Declan Rice and Domingos Quina among the first five winners at 2016/17 Player Awards

Andy Carroll, Darren Randolph, Edimilson Fernandes, Declan Rice and Domingos Quina were our first five winners at the West Ham United 2016/17 Player Awards, brought to you by Betway in aid of the Academy.

Carroll won the Goal of the Season award, sponsored by FRP Advisory, for his unstoppable bicycle kick to clinch the 3-0 Premier League win over Crystal Palace at London Stadium on 14 January 2017.

The No9's acrobatic effort beat off the challenge of efforts from Michail Antonio, Dimitri Payet, Manuel Lanzini, Winston Reid and Cheikhou Kouyate to win the supporters' vote.

Goalkeeper Randolph secured the Save of the Season award, sponsored by Higgins, for his marvellous fingertip save from Jordan Henderson in the 2-2 Premier League draw at Liverpool on 11 December 2016.

The Republic of Ireland international's miraculous full-length stop was picked by the Claret and Blue Army ahead of his own saves from Manchester United's Jesse Lingard, a free-kick from Burnley's Scott Arfield and Riyad Mahrez's curling effort at Leicester City, as well as Adrian's wonderful saves from Everton's Ross Barkley and Crystal Palace's Connor Wickham, and the Spaniard's double-save in the UEFA Europa League draw with NK Domzale in Slovenia.

Edimilson Fernandes capped an encouraging season in east London following his summer 2016 switch from FC Sion by being voted Signing of the Season, sponsored by S14 VIP Limited.

The Switzerland international has made 30 appearances in Claret and Blue, the highlight of which was unquestionably his EFL Cup fourth-round winner against Chelsea at London Stadium in October.

To complete the first set of awards to be presented at InterContinental London – The O2, Academy Director and Head of Coaching and Player Development selected Rice and Quina as Young Hammer of the Year, sponsored by Ark Build Ltd, and Dylan Tombides Award, sponsored by Rich Energy, winner respectively.

Rice was picked ahead of fellow nominees Quina and Toni Martinez, while the Portugal U17 international won the trophy for the Academy's outstanding player ahead of winger Dan Kemp and goalkeeper Nathan Trott.

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From the Treatment Room
WHUFC.com

Head of Medical and Sports Science Stijn Vandenbroucke issues an update – in association with Spire Roding Hospital

Hello everybody,

All the staff were naturally delighted with Friday's Premier League victory over Tottenham Hotspur. Cheikhou Kouyate was outstanding in that game and his performance was all the more impressive when you consider he was playing through the pain of a chronic wrist injury which was aggravated at the Africa Cup of Nations back in January. He has shown the true spirit of the Hammers by playing with this condition and given everything to the team and to the Club. Now our Premier League status has been assured, we took the decision for Cheikhou to undergo an operation on his wrist on Tuesday. He will be in a cast for eight weeks and we wish him all the best with his rehabilitation, with a view to him returning in good time for next season.

Michail Antonio has also had surgery and he has started his own rehabilitation period, again working towards next season.

Diafra Sakho has had a setback with his lower back and we took the decision not to take any risks this season, so he too is working towards next season.

Finally, Andy Carroll is continuing with his rehabilitation after suffering a significant adductor strain.

Stijn Vandenbroucke

Head of Medical and Sports Science

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THE 5 MAIN TALKING POINTS FROM THE MATCH V SPURS
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 9 MAY 2017 AT 8:39PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
This weeks 5 Talking Points by Steve Claydon @trbeat

Signature Win

Well, it took until week 36, if you ignore the Chelsea cup result, to secure a win that hopefully beds us in at the London Stadium. I have to admit I am not a big believer in the Stadium being a problem. I think players, fans and everyone else have used it as an excuse but the reality is I think the mentality of the Manager and players has been the biggest issue this year. Two up against Watford and we lose 4-2, and it could have been 10-2, and yet we manage to beat arguably the best football playing team in the league 1-0. I think the win is based on three things. Firstly, it's a rival. A big rival. Playing to be Champions. We were never going to lie down and roll over. Secondly, we were not safe, we still needed a point or two to be safe, and this was an opportunity. Third and last, I do think the players like Bilic. I'm not sure he is 100% safe just yet. In my mind, he has six to eight games to prove to us he is the real deal and the problems this year are behind us. Have us in the mid to upper mid of the table, and I'm sold, if we are not, then we should let him go.

But for now, let's saviour that win against a team we hate. It was sweet that it guarantees us safety and pretty much kills them off in the title race.

Effort Was Everywhere.

While watching the game on TV, it's hard to track all the players and see the off the ball work rates. What stood out for me was Calleri's constant running, Ayew's hustle and both wing backs getting up and down the pitch. For all those fans who said Calleri is worth waiting on, I did start to see increased effort, better hold up play and winning long balls with some good flick-ons. His finishing is still poor, but then again Fletcher missed an easy chance at the end which would have been a nice way to end the game. The midfield was dominant not giving Spurs anytime on the ball or play to their strengths, and the defence was outstanding. For a change, it was not the last tackle dance all the time – apart from a series when Adrian spilt the ball and then made a couple of excellent saves – we never looked threatened at the back. The effort over the last three weeks has been outstanding.

Stats Don't Lie

Antonio 9, Lanzini 8, Carrol 7. The next pure striker to score Calleri, with 1. When your two top scorers are midfield players, it's clear that a problem exists. While the last three results have been positive, we have scored a total of 5 goals in the last seven games. With the match against Hull the last time a forward, Carroll, scored. If your take Antonio's and Lanzini's output in addition to the other midfield players, then add in a 15 goal a season front man then there is no reason for us not to be comfortable and pushing for a top 6 or higher place. If an offer for Carroll comes then we bite their hand off, same goes for Sakho. We need to pick up two reliable players who either on their own or between them can do the business for us and take the pressure off the midfield and let them be creative and serve.

Stadium Atmosphere.

Anybody have a bad time Friday night? Anybody? It's a serious question. If we had of lost 1-0, I am sure people would be complaining about the pitch size, location of the stadium and just about everything else. Granted living in the US does not give me the right to have an opinion about all of this, but watching the game on TV, hearing the fans and listening to the commentators say that the place was loud with a great atmosphere reminds me that we the fans have a part to play in our success. What you, the fans that went to the game, did on Friday needs to be replicated on a cold Sunday against Brighton next year. It does not matter which team comes to our new home, it's our home, they are not welcome, and they will leave with a bitter taste. Players have a responsibility to give 100% as do we the fans.

Man of the Match

I'm not going to pick a man of the match, this was a team performance, and everyone deserves credit. Lanzini was brilliant, Adrian has matured the last few weeks and was class again. Reid, Fonte and Collins were dominant. Noble and Kouyate were active and mopped up anything. But it was Sam Byram who quietly went about his job with no fuss and looked the part at right wing back. It's been a horrible position for us all year. The last few weeks though Byram has steadied his play, stopped the stupid mental mistakes and made some great decisions. Pulling Son's shirt was a great decision, he knew exactly what was going to happen when he got lost on that play, and Son was about to sprint down the wing. Byram has two more games to make that position his own and help Bilic in the transfer window by not having to find a top-quality RB/RWB.

See you next week.

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Cheikhou Kouyate assures West Ham backing for Slaven Bilic
By James Dale
Last Updated: 09/05/17 2:32pm
SSN

Cheikhou Kouyate has dedicated West Ham's win over Tottenham to Slaven Bilic, insisting the manager has the players' backing. Bilic's future as Hammers' boss is set to be reviewed at the end of the current campaign, Sky Sports News HQ understands, with the club having struggled to replicate the form that saw them finish seventh last season. West Ham's win over rivals Tottenham last week guaranteed the club's Premier League status, though, and Kouyate maintains Bilic has not lost any support within the players' dressing room. "Despite all the speculation, Slaven was very confident before the game," Kouyate told West Ham's official website. "We were right behind him the entire way. He said before the match that this was like a final for us and so we are very happy that we've won it for him."
Kouyate will miss West Ham's remaining two top-flight fixtures in order to undergo surgery on an injured wrist, with the club having opted to proceed with the operation after their Premier League safety was confirmed. Ahead of his side facing Liverpool this Sunday, though, live on Sky Sports 1 HD, Kouyate insists his team-mates are determined to climb higher than their current 12th-place standing. "The objective for us for the remainder of the season is to get as many points as possible," Kouyate added. "We know that finishing as high as ninth or tenth is still possible. "We have Liverpool on Saturday, and we know it won't be easy, but we will give everything until the end."

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West Ham FC transfer news: Carlos Bacca back on Hammers' radar after asking to leave AC Milan
Carlos Bacca in action for AC Milan
By talkSPORT - @talkSPORT
Tuesday, May 9, 2017

West Ham target Carlos Bacca has held talks with AC Milan about leaving this summer. The striker has bagged 14 goals this season to go with the 20 he bagged during the previous campaign. The Colombian was a target for West Ham last summer but talks broke down as the transfer window slammed shut. However, according to reports in Italy, Bacca's move to the Hammers could be back on as he has asked to leave. The 30-year-old's agent was reportedly at Milan's headquarters on Monday to speak with the club's owners about moving on. Bacca may well get his wish too with Milan not against letting him go if they can bank around £25million.

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Who is Lukasz Teodorczyk? Everything you need to know about the reported West Ham transfer target
West Ham certainly need a striker this summer, maybe two...
Football London
BYSAM INKERSOLE
11:18, 9 MAY 2017

Yes, it's another striker... Polish frontman Lukasz Teodorczyk is the latest goalscorer to be linked with striker-hungry West Ham, who will be looking to strengthen in that department this summer. With Andy Carroll and Diafra Sakho still struggling with injury problems, Jonathan Calleri's future up in the air and Ashley Fletcher not being considered just yet, West Ham are in the market, as they always seem to be. But who is this Anderlect front man who is the latest name being rumoured to make a switch to east London? Here's everything you need to know about him. Having joined Polonia Warsaw in January 2010 Teodorczyk made his youth team debut that season, scoring 15 goals. A switch to Lech Poznan in 2013 yielded an impressive 24 goals in one season and that alone was enough for him to join Dynamo Kiev on a five-year deal. Teodorczyk suffered some injury problems during his time in the Ukraine, restricting him to just 24 appearances over three years, scoring ten goals in that time before he was sent on loan to Anderlecht. That worked wonders for him, scoring 20 goals in 25 appearances before signing a permanent deal with the Belgian side and this season, has racked up 28 times in 47 appearances, 20 of them in league. The Hammers have reportedly cooled their interest in Jermain Defoe after his poor end to the season, while Carlos Bacca's name has resurfaced once again after the circus of the last transfer window.

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KOUYATE POSTS TWITTER MESSAGE TO WEST HAM FANS AFTER SURGERY
9th May, 2017, 11:07 AM
By Will Butcher

Cheikhou Kouyate has revealed his determination to come back stronger for West Ham on Twitter after undergoing surgery on a long-standing wrist problem. The Senegalese midfielder has been suffering with the injury for much of the season but an operation was delayed so Kouyate could help the Hammers avoid relegation. Slaven Bilic's side are now safe from the drop after beating London rivals Tottenham 1-0 on Friday night, which has allowed Kouyate to finally undergo surgery.
Posting on his personal Twitter account with his arm in a sling, Kouyate stated that "the pain you feel today is the strength you feel tomorrow" as he sets his sights on his recovery.

Follow
cheikhou kouyate 8 ✔ @PapiCheikhou
It's nver easy & nver over. It will be a fight renewd each morning.The pain you feel today is the strength you feel tmorrow#Alhamdulilah🙌🏿
10:29 AM - 9 May 2017
44 44 Retweets 234 234 likes

Kouyate, 27, has made 36 league and cup appearances for the east London side this season, scoring four goals and helping his side keep nine clean sheets. The former Anderlecht ace has been forced to play out of position at right-back at times this season, with Alvaro Arbeloa and Sam Byram nursing injuries throughout the campaign too. The Hammers have struggled to replicate the successes of 2015-16 which saw them finish in seventh and qualify for the Europa League. Now in twelfth, Bilic has come under huge pressure as his side have lost double the amount of Premier League games with two matches still to play. Kouyate has a contract at the London Stadium until the summer of 2021, and will now look to recover in time to take part in the Hammers' pre-season.

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WHY ARE AWAY FANS PRIORITISED?
By Blind Hammer 9 May 2017 at 10:34
WTID

Blind Hammer appeals for a rethink by the Police on crowd management at the LS.

One of the most contentious issues discussed at the West Ham Disabled Supporters Advisory Board was the current practice of prioritising the departure of away fans after games at the LS. Karen Brady was insistent that the Club had no flexibility in this matter.

This prioritisation of the exiting of away supporters is creating some inconvenience for many supporters but is having a major negative impact on the exiting of disabled supporters from the Park.

West Ham has commendably introduced a shuttle Accessibility Bus service to convey Disabled and Older Supporters with mobility impairments to the Stadium from Stratford. However the service is being severely disrupted after games by the practice of the Police prioritising the departure of the minority of Away supporters. This meant that when I personally tried out the service, my sighted Guide reported that 5 Accessibility Coaches were held back in a queue by Police.

Supporters on the Coach reported to me that routinely they are expected to wait in the coaches for anything from 20-30 minutes before the Police release the block. The problem extends beyond this wait on the coaches. The Accessibility Bus Service is very popular with Disabled Supporters. Those who fail to catch an initial bus have to wait for it to return from Stratford. These supporters are having an extended wait time. The club have offered the use of the Store Café to help supporters wait but there are multiple issues with extending queuing time for many supporters with disabilities.

Disabled Supporters reported that the arrangements worked extremely well at the start of the season but problems emerged only after the Police changed crowd management's flows after the Chelsea game.

Karen Brady reported that the Club had no discretion to change these arrangements as they were controlled by the Police. The Police had told her that they were arrangements similar to those at other Premiership Clubs.

Disabled Supporters pointed out that for as long as they could remember exiting arrangements from Upton Park had prioritised the exiting of home and not away supporters and were puzzled at this complete reversal at the London Stadium.

Other supporters have reported that at many other Premiership Grounds they are expected to wait behind after the final whistle to allow the majority of home supporters to exit the stadium and surrounding areas.

Disabled Supporters as well as I are sure non-Disabled supporters completely understand the need to segregate home and away supporters exiting from the Park. Claret and Hugh have reported that West Ham have unfortunately jumped to the top of the London arrest table for supporters causing trouble.

However as one supporter at the Disabled Advisory Board explained, holding back the Away Supporters for 15 minutes would transform the experience for the majority of West Ham Supporters regularly attending games. Currently a one off inconvenience for the Away supporters is being traded for a Season long experience of inconvenience for loyal West Ham Supporters.

These negative impacts are entirely avoidable if the Police simply reversed their segregation policy and held back the minority of Away Supporters for the benefit of the vast majority of home fans. Supporters at the board urged Karen Brady to re-approach the Police to seek amended arrangements.

We will have to watch this space.

COYI

David Griffith

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West Ham are ready to damage Liverpool's top-four dream just days after ending Tottenham's title hopes, warns Jose Fonte
West Ham beat Tottenham last Friday to ruin their rivals' hopes of glory
Slaven Bilic's side travel to Anfield to face Liverpool on Sunday
Liverpool are involved in a tight fight for a Champions League spot
But Jose Fonte says West Ham are in the mood to spoil the party again
By Aditi Prakash, Reuters
PUBLISHED: 10:25, 9 May 2017 | UPDATED: 10:25, 9 May 2017

West Ham left Tottenham's title hopes in tatters with a shock 1-0 win last week and Jose Fonte says they have now set their sights on derailing Liverpool's top-four bid. West Ham did the double over Liverpool last season and drew 2-2 at Anfield in December, and Fonte revealed the team are going all out to continue their run against the Merseyside club. 'We have a massive game against Liverpool and we want to finish in the top 10, so we have got to win those two games. It's another big game on Sunday and we want to replicate what we did against Tottenham,' Fonte told the club's official website.
West Ham are currently 12th in the Premier League table but have the same number of points (42) as both Southampton (10th) and Bournemouth (11th), though Southampton have played two games less. Fonte also said that manager Slaven Bilic's switch to a 3-4-2-1 system suited the team as they recorded four clean sheets in their last five league matches. 'We have found a good system and we've been excellent in the last four games, so I'm pleased, because as a defender it's good to keep clean sheets,' Fonte said. 'The three points are always more important, but the clean sheet matters to me.'
Liverpool travel to the London Stadium on Sunday on the back of a goalless stalemate at Anfield against Southampton. Manager Jurgen Klopp said: 'It's not perfect, but it keeps us still on track and that's the most important information. 'Everybody wished that we'd do it, us included, but now it's like this, we take this and work hard again and prepare ourselves for West Ham. 'It won't be an easy trip, we know that. We try it again and then we'll see at the end.'

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Westley admits West Ham U23s might have to change loan system should they be promoted
Football London
BYSAM INKERSOLE
09:19, 9 MAY 2017

West Ham's academy boss Terry Westley says the club might have to consider changing its policy on loaning out the youngsters at Chadwell Heath should the club achieve promotion next week. The Hammers made it through to the play-off final with a nailbiting 2-1 victory over Wolves at Molineux on Monday night, with Jahmal Hector-Ingram and Martin Samuelsen's penalty in the final ten minutes turning around a 1-0 deficit. The U23s will take on Newcastle in the final - potentially this Friday but more likely next Monday at St James' Park - to decide who will be promoted from Division Two up to Division One alongside Swansea City. Josh Cullen, Reece Burke, Recce Oxford, Geroge Dobson, Samuelsen, Toni Martinez, Kyle Knoyle and Josh Pask have all spent time away on loan this season in the Championship, League One or League Two and should the Hammers go up, that might have to change. Westley has sometimes called on the likes of Jonathan Calleri, Ashley Fletcher and Arthur Masuaku this season for big games in PL2. Speaking exclusively to football.london straight after Monday's win, Westley said the competition in the division above means that some of the players might have to stay. He said: "We are a big fish in Division Two. When we go to Swansea, Newcastle, West Brom, we play in their main stadiums. We have had some really good fixtures and we have been allowed to play a young team - we had six under 18s on the pitch at the end of the game. "It's harder to do that in the league above with Chelsea, Man United, Man City, Liverpool, Tottenham and Arsenal so with the players we loaned this year, we might have a closer look should we go up. "We don't want to affect our strategy and vision about loaning players out and but it would be a real challenge for the younger ones in the top league. We want to get there and it would test our second group."

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Lionel Messi has a West Ham United shirt in his incredible football shirt showroom
Telegraph.co.uk
Callum Davis
9 MAY 2017 • 9:35AM

Lionel Messi gave his 71 million Instagram followers a unique insight into his spectacular football shirt collection on Tuesday morning - and one strip in particular stuck out like a sore thumb. Among illustrious names like Raul, Yaya Toure and Angel Di Maria, a West Ham United home shirt hangs proudly on Messi's wall. Despite having never played against the Premier League side in his 13 years as a professional, the famous claret and blue strip takes prime position in the Ballon D'Or winner's incredible showroom. The Irons shirt bares the name of Messi's Argentinean compatriot, Manuel Lanzini, who scored the winner in West Ham's 1-0 victory over London rivals Tottenham on Friday evening. Messi posted the picture of himself in the shirt showroom sitting alongside his eldest son, Thiago.
The 29-year-old Barcelona striker recently revealed his son does not really enhoy football, and the only reason he watches matches in the Nou Camp is to hang out with Luis Suarez's son, Benjamin. "He does not like (football) much, really," said Messi of his son on Uruguayan TV. "He goes because Benja (son of Luis Suarez) and some schoolmates go, but he is not a fan."

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Sam Byram says Jonathan Calleri is very aggressive in training
HITC
Subhankar Mondal

Jonathan Calleri's performance against Tottenham Hotspur impressed West Ham United teammate Sam Byram. West Ham United defender Sam Byram has told the club's official website that Jonathan Calleri is very aggressive in training. Byram, who is 23 years of age and can operate as a right-back or as a a right-winger, has spoken highly of his West Ham teammate. The former Leeds United star was impressed with the performance of Calleri for West Ham against Tottenham Hotspur at the London Stadium last week. The 23-year-old striker started the Premier League game last Friday evening and played until the third minute of injury time, helping the Hammers win the London derby 1-0. "Jonny put a good shift in," Byram told West Ham's official website about Calleri. "He's strong, he gives his all and I'm delighted he has done well. "In training, he's a very aggressive player and you need that in your team. I am sure the goals will come and hopefully he can get one next week."

Calleri is a good striker, and the Argentine has played well on certain occasions for West Ham this season. Currently on loan from Deportivo Maldonado, the 23-year-old has scored one goal and created five chances in 14 Premier League appearances for the Hammers so far this season. Slaven Bilic's side are 12th in the Premier League table at the moment with 42 points from 36 matches.

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West Ham eye transfer of Lukasz Teodorczyk from Anderlecht to solve their problems up front
The Poland international joins Daniel Sturridge, Dries Mertens and more on the Hammers' summer strikers hit-list
The Mirror
BYDARREN LEWIS
22:30, 8 MAY 2017

Striker-hungry West Ham are interested in Anderlecht star Lukasz Teodorczyk. The 25-year-old has scored 28 times in 47 appearances for the Brussels side this season, to alert a number of clubs across Europe. Poland international Teodorczyk's haul has included 20 goals in the Belgian league to push his club to the brink of the title, though he failed to score in either leg of Anderlecht's Europa League quarter-final loss to Manchester United. The Hammers have prioritised the signings of a striker and a right-back for the coming transfer window. "I never thought I'd say this, but thank you West Ham" - Chelsea fans take to Twitter to celebrate Spurs defeat
Current frontmen Andy Carroll and Diafra Sakho have had their 2016-17 seasons wrecked by injuries, and are likely to be sold this summer if the Hammers receive acceptable offers for them. The east Londoners, impressive in ending Tottenham's title hopes last Friday night, retain an interest in Belgium striker Michy Batshuayi, who will leave Chelsea at the end of the season. Daniel Sturridge of Liverpool, Sunderland's ex-Hammer Jermain Defoe, Napoli forward Dries Mertens and AC Milan hitman Carlos Bacca, who was a West Ham target last summer and again in January, are also on the radar.

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