Pierre Ekwah has taken a not so subtle swipe at West Ham and David Moyes over a lack of trust in young players after joining Sunderland.
Sunderland signed West Ham academy graduate Aji Alese in the summer and had been linked with midfielder Ekwah in recent weeks.
Talk had abound that the Black Cats were interested in the West Ham development side star.
Ekwah arrived at West Ham from London rivals Chelsea where he had rejected the offer of a new contract.
So hopes were high for the Frenchman at the Hammers.
But despite impressing at academy level, the 21-year-old found chances difficult to come by at West Ham despite Moyes using several young players in European competition over the last couple of seasons.
It had been rumoured Ekwah was going to join Championship Sunderland on loan. But today West Ham confirmed he has moved to the Stadium of Light on a permanent basis.
“Ekwah departs east London after 18 months with the Hammers. The 21-year-old joined from Chelsea in June 2021 and made 45 appearances across all competitions for the development side, scoring eight goals…” West Ham said in a statement.
“Everyone at West Ham United would like to thank Pierre for his efforts in Claret and Blue and wish him every success in his future career.”
Given West Ham’s lack of options beyond Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek for much of the last 18 months, the left-footed all-action midfielder’s failure to establish himself in and around the first team squad may seem somewhat surprising.
But not to the many West Ham fans who have been frustrated by Moyes’ reluctance to give young players a proper first team chance.
Some Hammers supporters feel the Scot talks a good game when it comes to bringing through academy talent but does not back it up with his actions.
Now Ekwah has taken a not so subtle swipe at West Ham and Moyes over a lack of trust in young players after joining Sunderland.
Speaking in an interview on Sunderland’s website, Ekwah explained he was attracted to the club due to their clear trust in youth.
“The history and vision of the club really attracted me and I’m delighted to be here,” Ekwah told the Sunderland website.
“I see myself as a number eight who can handle the ball well, but I can also do the defensive side of the game.
“It’s great to see the club trusting young players and that’s something that really appealed to me – it seems a great environment for me to develop as both a person and a player, and I can’t wait to get started.”
West Ham fans want to see young players trusted in games of significance rather than the odd dead rubber European group match or early round cup clash.
Yes Moyes is under pressure to get results, particularly at the moment, but sometimes the team can seriously benefit from an injection of youthful exuberance and fearlessness. After all bringing through young academy talent is what West Ham are famous for.
But the likes of Divin Mubama and Ollie Scarles seriously impressed for West Ham in Europe yet still struggle to get a chance in and around the first team squad.