West Ham United boss Nuno Espirito Santo was ‘delighted’ to see Ollie Scarles bounce back from that Fulham error during the 2-2 draw with Brighton and Hove Albion.
Homegrown left-back Scarles trudged off in tears at the London Stadium on December 27th, his crucial miss-kick leading to Raul Jimenez’s 85th minute dagger.
Three days later, however, the West Ham kid silenced his critics with a stand-out performance during a dramatic four-goal thriller against Brighton. Scarles was named the Man of the Match by Hammers News with a landslide 50 per cent of the vote.
So, although El Hadji Malick Diouf and Aaron Wan-Bissaka will return soon from the Africa Cup of Nations, Ollie Scarles might just have proven to the West Ham United head coach that he can be relied upon to step up to the plate during a make-or-break double-header against Wolves and Nottingham Forest.
Just how IMPORTANT is Saturday’s trip to Wolves? 🐺
A must-win, surely…
Talk about good timing.
Nuno Espirito Santo hails Ollie Scarles response at West Ham United
Speaking at his pre-match press conference on Friday, ahead of tomorrow’s return to his old employers at Molineux, Nuno Espirito Santo could not be happier about the way his young full-back responded to the most difficult period of his embryonic career so far.
“I think he bounced back and mistakes are part of the game,” Nuno said.
“We are professionals, we have to react to it. Ollie has our support, he has our confidence and I think honestly he played a very good game [on Tuesday. It shows maturity, it shows realisation that mistakes are part [of the game] but put it over your back and move forward.
“I’m delighted for Ollie and thankful for the reception that Ollie got from our fans. It was beautiful to see.”
Scarles is almost certain to start a third successive Premier League match for the first time as Nuno returns to his old stomping ground tomorrow.
And while captain Jarrod Bowen was effusive in his praise for Scarles too following a tense encounter with Fabian Hurzeler’s side, the Barking-born 20-year-old is determined not to rest on his laurels.
Scarles thankful for Nuno support as he previews Wolves trip
Six points are a must if West Ham are to reel in Nottingham Forest and move out of the relegation zone ahead of the FA Cup third round a week from now.
“I needed a bounce back from last week,” Scarles told reporters in midweek. “Obviously, every player goes through them sort of moments. [That Fulham error] was a tough one for me because, you know, the club means a lot to me and I want to win games.
“I want to do well for the team. So, yeah, I needed a bit of a bounce back and I thought I’d done all right today. So it’s not too bad.”
DESCRIBE Ollie Scarles’ performance in one word!
What a response from the youngster
“Obviously, I’m thankful to the gaffer, you know. He showed good faith in me to stick me back in.
“It’s been tough for everyone, you know, we’ve had to recover well. And the boys are brilliant with me, they comforted me. It’s just one I’ve got to put past me. These things happen in football. It’s just about moving on from them.
“And luckily in football, games come thick and fast. So, it’s always about the next game and putting it right for going forward.
“I appreciate all the fans,” adds a full-back who followed in the footsteps of Declan Rice when claiming West Ham’s Young Player of the Year award last season. “We’ve had some really nice messages and support, both online and just around the building and everything.
“Family, friends… yeah, it’s been good.
“But back to it now. We’ve got to focus on the next game. We’ve got Wolves [away on Saturday] and that’ll be another good one. Hopefully, we can get three points there.”
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