A leading Dutch journalist has aimed a slight dig at West Ham United over Crysencio Summerville.
Summerville has made headlines back in the Netherlands after he was called up to Ronald Koeman’s World Cup squad despite never playing for his country at senior level.
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Quite how much of a role the West Ham winger plays at the World Cup this summer remains to be seen, but his mere inclusion in the squad has sparked debate in the Netherlands.
Journalist Valentijn Driessen does not believe it’s the right call.
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There have been suggestions that Summerville has been included as a right-winger, a position he has not often played for West Ham United.
The bulk of the 24-year-old’s brief success here in east London has come while playing on the left, cutting inside and shooting on his preferred right foot.
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Driessen does not believe that’s the right idea. He is of the belief that players who are capable of making an impact on either wing simply don’t play for clubs like West Ham, which feels very harsh indeed.
“I don’t know at all if he is a good option as a right winger, I see him there too little,” he told the Kick-Off Podcast.
“They saw something that makes them think he can play both as a left and right winger. There are very few players who can really do that. If you can do that, you don’t play for West Ham United.”
Summerville’s record as a right-winger
Summerville was brilliant at times for West Ham during the 2025/26 season but often flattered to deceive.
The former Leeds star enjoyed a fine purple patch in form between late-January and early March in which he scored five goals in eight games, although that eventually tailed off as the club succumbed to relegation.
Over the course of his career, Summerville has made 103 appearances as a right-winger, scoring 23 goals while registering 15 assists. Only two of those came for West Ham, with the bulk of them coming during his time at Leeds as well as his youth career.
Either way, it’s difficult to imagine him playing a leading role for his country at the World Cup given the fact he hasn’t yet made his senior debut.
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