Konstantinos Mavropanos is not just turning his West Ham career around, he’s turning the clock back on Premier League football.
That’s according to outspoken pundit Troy Deeney after he picked West Ham’s big Greek centre-back in his team of the week.
When Konstantinos Mavropanos joined West Ham for £17.5m from Stuttgart he looked to have all the attributes to be a top Premier League defender – even if he hadn’t quite made the grade at Arsenal.
Mavropanos’ time in the Bundesliga saw him become known for his power and pace as well as lung-busting runs out from the back.
Deeney says Mavropanos is bringing back dying art at West Ham
On paper this 6ft 5in Greek God had all the ingredients to be a West Ham cult hero in the making.
Many hoped he might be the replacement for ‘Ginger’ James Collins.
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Mavropanos' performance is the best by a West Ham defender since… ?
But Mavropanos became better known for making big errors in games, even when he was playing pretty well, which often cost the Hammers dearly.
The 28-year-old has turned his West Ham career around of late, though.
And he had a week to remember where he started by dispatching West Ham’s winning penalty in the FA Cup victory over Brentford with the unerring quality of an Erling Haaland and ended it taking a full volley in the face from that very player at close range.
In between ‘Dinos was named West Ham’s best dressed player for a second year running at the club’s own Oscars.
Mavropanos also scored a vital header from a Jarrod Bowen corner to earn West Ham what could well be a precious point in the battle for survival against Man City.
That was the cherry on the cake of his 10/10 man of the match defensive display against Pep Guardiola’s side which culminated in taking that volley to the face – a moment which will cement him into the hearts of West Ham fans.
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It also caught the eye of Deeney, who described Mavropanos as a ‘beast’ and praised him for bringing back the dying art of brave old school defending.
“He was a beast against Manchester City,” Deeney told BBC Sport when selecting Mavropanos as one of the centre-backs in his Premier League team of the week.
“He put his face in front of the ball when Haaland blasted it at him from five yards.
“In the age where everyone turns their back, he is an old-school centre-back.
“And he scored with his team’s only shot of the game.”
Deeney is not the only one to praise Mavropanos this week.
Having been labelled a flop by many Hammers fans, the centre-back has been completely changing the narrative around him in the last three months.
One of West Ham’s most improved players under Nuno Espirito Santo has been lauded by his captain Jarrod Bowen too.
Bowen says Mavropanos is getting exactly what he deserves at West Ham after a tough couple of years failing to truly establish himself.
It is some redemption arc for the Hammers ace, who has hailed Paco Jemez as a big factor behind his revival.
That arc would be completed in the most perfect way possible if Mavropanos can be one of the key players in keeping West Ham in the Premier League come what May.
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