West Ham United fans are already loving new right-back Vladimir Coufal.
‘There are concerns’ Insider delivers update on West Ham chase for World Cup winner
The Czech Republic international signed for West Ham on Friday in a deal worth £5.5 million.
On the evidence of his whirlwind debut two days later in the 3-0 win at Leicester, that looks a bargain.
Coufal has already endeared himself to West Ham fans with his comments and performance against the Foxes.
Hammers finally have a class right-back
West Ham have been starved of a quality, solid, dependable right-back for years.
At long last they seem to have finally found one.
Many West Ham fans have been praising Coufal’s compatriot Tomas Soucek for recommending his former Slavia Prague teammate to the club.
Soucek may have given the move his endorsement.
But it was former Chelsea hate figure Stephen Hunt who is the surprise face behind the deal.
West Ham have former Chelsea hate figure to thank
The ex Reading, Wolves and Ireland midfielder has set up his own agency in retirement.
Hunt is perhaps best known for becoming a hate figure with fans of West Ham’s London rivals Chelsea. The former winger received death threats after a collision that left Chelsea’s then world number one goalkeeper Petr Cech with a fractured skull in 2006.
Hunt was not even booked for the incident by referee Mike Riley and was later exonerated of any blame by the Football Association.
But some Blues fans were convinced he left his leg in on Cech – who went on to don protective headwear for the rest of his career.
Hunt reveals 10 months of planning went into Coufal’s West Ham move
Nearly 15 years on Hunt is back influencing Premier League games in a different way.
The 39-year-old revealed Coufal’s transfer to West Ham was the result of months of hard work.
“Ten months in planning and to get it over the line with great people was something worth waiting for,” Hunt said on Twitter alongside pictures of himself with Coufal holding up his West Ham shirt after signing for the club.
Does impending double deal suggest West Ham are close to signing England midfielder?
Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox
