After an exit from West Ham United in January, one player seems to be reaping the rewards of a fresh start with another club.
West Ham manager David Moyes has plenty of talented young players on his hands at the London Stadium right now.
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However, many of the Hammers under-21s have either been sold or released over the past 12-18 months.
Sunderland signed Pierre Ekwah from West Ham United in January of this year for a minimal fee on a long-term contract until 2027.
The 21-year-old was highly-rated at the London Stadium, so it came as somewhat of a shock when he was sold to the Black Cats eight months ago.
And his form with Sunderland has been hugely impressive so far this season…
Ekwah says he’s miles better now after January West Ham exit
The former Chelsea midfielder has been a huge hit on Wearside this season.
In five league appearances in the Championship so far this season, Ekwah has averaged two tackles, 1.6 interceptions and one clearance per game. He has made 52.2 passes per match and has recorded a mightily impressive completion rate of 90% (Who Scored).
The early signs are that the young Frenchman has everything needed to go on and become a top-class Premier League player.
And Ekwah told the Sunderland Echo that the opportunity given to him by Tony Mowbary has enabled him to showcase his true talent:
“I came in January to a team that was really good. They were challenging for the play-offs. You can’t just come in as a 21s player expecting to play, you need to earn it. I try my best to earn it and felt like I earned it, and my mentality never changed. You always have to work and have to earn it. When I felt like I did earn it, I had my chance and I grabbed it. You gain experience by playing games,” he added. “When you have a staff like here, believing you have to play to get better I definitely agree with it. I am miles better than what I was when I came here so I think in just like six or seven months I’m better because I had that chance from the start from the gaffer to put me on the pitch.”
Ekwah is clearly benefitting from more trust from his manager.
However, it must be noted that playing in the Premier League is an entirely different level to the Championship. Maybe the 21-year-old wasn’t quite ready to be playing top level football with the Hammers last season.
That said, his exit from West Ham in January was obviously the best thing that has happened to him.
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