In terms of West Ham feel-good stories, The NY Times article on Ollie Scarles, David Moyes, and Declan Rice is well worth a read.
Hammers correspondent Roshane Thomas knows his stuff, and his report on what Rice did after West Ham’s 1-0 win against Arsenal shows what a classy operator Declan is.
Rice is understood to have given Scarles his signed shirt following the game, which was a lovely touch. The former West Ham captain had a bit of a shocker and was substituted early by manager Mikel Arteta in a defeat that probably cost the Gunners the title.
Therefore, it was pretty decent of Dec to think of the latest player off the Academy of Football production line, considering he was having a very bad day. Bravo.
However, it is the accompanying report about how highly former gaffer David Moyes rated Scarles that has really caught my attention. Once again, The Athletic reports that Moyesie was asked whether West Ham had any good players coming through during a behind-closed-doors friendly against Stevenage last season, and he predicted Ollie Scarles would progress into a Premier League footballer.
Mystic Moyes, of course, was the manager who gave Scarles his Irons debut as a 16-year-old in the Europa League. So, the Everton boss probably has more reason than most to lay claim to Ollie’s progression.
Personally, I’m having none of it. Scarles hardly featured under Moyes once he’d made his first-team debut, and while the former boss can certainly claim that he was integrating George Earthy into the first team, Scarles had slipped off his radar.
I doubt very much whether the youngster would have been playing under Moyes this season if he’d remained in charge. I don’t believe for a second that Moyesie would have trusted the 19-year-old enough to start him against Arsenal at the Emirates.
I do always enjoy hearing a prediction AFTER the event, though… I’ll have to hit up Mystic Moyesie for those EuroMillions numbers from last week’s lottery
Moyes did praise Scarles extensively after that European game, describing his performance as “exceptional” and highlighting his composure and ability to deliver dangerous crosses despite his youth. This debut was a pivotal moment, marking Scarles as a promising talent within the club.
Moyes also demonstrated confidence in Scarles’ potential beyond that match. In 2023, during a behind-closed-doors friendly against Stevenage Borough, Moyes reportedly told West Ham’s hierarchy that he believed Scarles would develop into a Premier League footballer. This endorsement from a seasoned manager likely boosted the club’s commitment to nurturing Scarles’ growth, ensuring he remained a priority within the academy system even after Moyes left. So yes Moyes definitely played a role in developing Scarles and furthering his career in my opinion.
Please C & H can we move on from Moyes? He is now the Everton manager and seems to have moved on – and is certainly respectful in his comments on West Ham
Now that Potter has given us hope for the future let us concentrate on our current team and our current manager and not be dragged down by the likes of Richard Keys and the be careful what you wish for brigade
well, we are still talking about other previous managers, balanced writing means occasional articles about Pellegrini, Bilic, BFS etc.. And several thousand Hammers readers clicked on the article in question so somebody clearly want to read about Moyes. All I can suggest is if you don’t want to read it, just don’t click on it! Simples.
Hear hear
To be fair Moyes gave debuts to Scarles, Mubama, Ashby, Perkins, Ngakia etc
Debuts, yes. But never proper opportunities.