(Photo by Chloe Knott – Danehouse/Getty Images)
Academy product Pierre Ekwah appears to have taken a sideswipe at former Sunderland boss David Moyes .
After signing a four-and-a-half-year deal in the north east after growing frustrated at Moyes’ reluctance to him a chance in the first team he decided to move on to a club which does.
Ekwah said it was ultimately an easy decision to make the move and club insiders have revealed to us that having acquired Ekwah on a free transfer from Chelsea they have lost nothing apart from his wages.
He joins the Black Cats with no up front transfer fee with add-ons for set number of appearances in tranches and a 25 per cent sell on clause.
It is claimed manager David Moyes & his coaching staff didn’t believe he would make the West Ham first team so he was let go.
Ekwah declared after moving to Wearside “It’s really nice to see a club still doing that… still trusting young players. It’s not just one or two, it’s a lot of young players, so I think it’s really good.
“It’s really good for football to move forward and for the long-term journey to where we want to go. I think it’s a big thing for us.
“I think Sunderland is a great set-up now, with the gaffer (Tony Mowbray) and the whole board. I think it’s a great set-up for young players to come and develop themselves and they give time and encouragement to young players to come and play their game.
When Moyes is eventually fired his most damming legacy will be the fact that he developed no Academy players through to become first team regulars. He has created a disconnect between the youth teams and the first team squad which means we have no opportunity to see how good these youngsters are apart from in brief cameos in meaningless ties. How Harrison Ashby has been ignored is a prime example of this. The club needs a manager who can successfully develop and integrate Academy players into the match day squad and it isn’t Moyes. No wonder we have an ageing team. Yet another reason for him to go.
I totally echo the words of Selsdon here. Well said. Moyes’ greatest error in a catalogue of errors.
100% agree. Moyes has been a disaster for the Acadamy. All the top teams (maybe apart from Spurs) use their young players moere than West Ham. What decent youngster would want to sign for West Ham?