They say in football you should ‘never go back’. A potential return to West Ham United for Stoke City winger Sorba Thomas, though, would be a homecoming of a very different kind.
Football is chock-full of examples of fan favourites who returned home to a hero’s welcome, only to fall short of the standards they set in that magnificent initial spell.
Robbie Fowler’s second stint at Liverpool comes to mind. Andriy Shevchenko and Kaka at AC Milan, Cristiano Ronaldo for his Piers Morgan-fuelled exit from Old Trafford.
Summerville out, Thomas in? Give your take on the Sorba Thomas rumours…
The Stoke star was released by West Ham as a teenager ⚒️
It is fair to say that, when West Ham United brought Joe Cole back to East London in 2011, injuries and the ravages of time had taken their toll.
But it’s different for Sorba Thomas. Mainly because, the first time round, Thomas was released without ever playing a game for the Hammers.
West Ham United’s Sorba Thomas interest gets the backing of the fans
According to ExWhuEmployee, West Ham could call upon Stoke and Wales winger Thomas if and when Crysencio Summerville leaves the London Stadium.
If the late-blooming wideman described his release by the Hammers as a ‘smack in the face’, then his return over a decade later would be a proverbial punch in the arm for someone who dropped all the way down to non-league before climbing his way back up the ladder.
“If he is willing to return to a club that gave up on him, why not?” one fan writes on Hammers News’ Facebook page in response to the Thomas rumours. “Summerville doesn’t want to be at the club so needs to go.”
Last season, for a Stoke side which limped to a dreadful 17th place finish, Thomas achieved what Summerville could not. Not even in his Championship Player of the Year-winning campaign with Leeds in 2023/24.
Thomas hit double figures for both goals and assists.
The former Huddersfield Town, Boreham Wood and Cheshunt winger won’t challenge for the Golden Boot, but what he will do is create a reliable stream of chances from the left-hand side with his pinpoint delivery.
Should Taty Castellanos and Jarrod Bowen stick around – the duo returned for pre-season training at Rush Green this week – opportunities will not be in short supply with Thomas supplying the ammunition.
“Make it happen please,” another fan agrees.
“Seen him play. When he’s on the ball, he’s class. Not the best of stats but, if we were to lose Summerville, I think he could work well with a good three upfront.”
How will Summerville’s future be impacted by his World Cup performances? 🇳🇱
He leaves with 2 goals and 2 assists! ⚽ ⚽
Thomas would bring brilliant crossing and superb fitness levels
They say the best ability is availability.
Compared to Summerville – who started only 36 out of a possible 76 Premier League games for the Hammers – Thomas featured in Stoke’s XI for 45 of their 46 Championship fixtures last season.
This, combined with what EFL expert Ali Maxwell described as an ‘absolutely deadly’ cross from wide areas, potentially makes Thomas a snip at a reported £15 million [Sports Boom].
“It sounds stupid to say but, to me, those are astounding numbers,” Maxwell said of a man who played 3,922 minutes of league football in 2025/26.
“[They] show how complete he is physically. He just looks like a completely new player compared to when we last saw him at this level, and it is so exciting.”
Joe Cole would never recapture the magic of his first stint in claret and blue. Sorba Thomas, though, would return to East London with a blank canvas, paintbrush in hand, and the carte blanche to create whatever masterpiece he can conjure up.
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