Ryan Fredericks joined West Ham in the summer of 2018, after his contract had expired with Fulham.
Much was expected of the 27-year-old, but in truth, he has failed to live up to expectations at the London Stadium.
Fredericks has made 38 appearances for the Hammers, with two goals and three assists to his name thus far (Transfermarkt).
The right-back has made 35 Premier League appearances for West Ham. And in those outings he has a tackle success rate of 63%. He has made 30 interceptions, 82 clearances and 139 ball recoveries (premierleague.com).
The 27-year-old has all of the attributes needed to succeed at the highest level, but he seems reluctant to use them. He has blistering pace, but is often scared of using it in attacking areas.
The former Fulham man is currently out injured, and is not expected back for a while yet.
And now Fredericks faces a huge challenge to force his way back into David Moyes’s side.
Jeremy Ngakia’s recent rise to prominence has got the West Ham fans very excited. The 19-year-old has only played three Premier League games for the Hammers. But he already looks right at home. And he has been so impressive.
As well as Ngakia, Ben Johnson is another youngster who has real potential. The 20-year-old returned to action for the under-23’s last night, and really impressed during a 4-0 win over Norwich.
The Hammers duo are obviously still very young, however. And they have a long way to go before they can be considered elite players.
Fredericks needs to raise his game when he returns from injury to prove to Moyes that he is a better option than both Ngakia and Johnson.
And it will be intriguing to watch him attempt to do just that.
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