Former two time Hammer Joe Cole has urged West Ham to sign Jesse Lingard on a permanent basis in the summer transfer window.
Lingard joined the Hammers on loan from Manchester United during the January window and has made a good start to his spell in London.
The Hammers were forced to shell out a £1.5m loan fee, £2.5m in wages equating to around £113,000 per week as well a £500,000 bonus should their man help West Ham achieve European qualification.
In turn, David Moyes has given Lingard a chance to kickstart his career after falling down the pecking order at Old Trafford.
Speaking ahead of the game, former West Ham star Cole told BT Sport: “I’ve always been a fan of Jesse. He’s lost his way in the last few years.
“Some fault will go to the managers not fancying him but this is what he brings to this club.
“David Moyes alluded to it – he can play in three or four positions, very much like Phil Foden. He finds space well.
“He’s found a club where they’ll love a player like him – hard-working, hustle and bustle, but also with quality and the ability.
“David alluded to the fact that when he was at Manchester United as a youngster, he saw the talent, and that sticks with you as a manager.
“He’s going to be looking at him and thinking: ‘I can get him back to his best’.
“And his very best was playing number 10 for England. We must not forget that but he’s 28 now, he needs to play. He hasn’t played enough games in his career, so he may not even be at his peak.
“He’s at the right club, he’s got to look at the players around him and think: ‘We can do something here’.”
A proud product of the West Ham youth system, Joe Cole made his first-team debut for the Hammers in 1999, at just 17-years-old, before making his Premier League debut just days later. The midfielder then helped the Irons win the FA Youth Cup with a 9-0 aggregate win over Coventry City.
He played 187 games in all competitions for the Irons across his two spells, scoring 18 goals. His final appearance in the Claret and Blue came on May 11 2014, against Manchester City.
