Much has been made, during this summer window, of the troubles West Ham have encountered in shipping out their’ want-away’ players: Those who have decided, even though they are paid money that the rest of us can only dream of – that they wish to quit the club that has shelled out a fortune for their services.
Aaron Wan Bissaka, reportedly, the latest to down tools and join that clan, before shipping out to Aston Villa today on a loan deal that may yet land him back at West Ham’s door in 10 months’ time. Along with Jean Clair Todibo who decreed he’d never play for Nuno again after being substituted against Newcastle. More the antics of spoilt children than professional footballers.
Compare and contrast with two lifelong Hammers who have recently exited. Loyalty displayed by Freddie Potts and most recently George Earthy demonstrates what it really means to be part of the West Ham family rather than a hired gun who kisses the badge one week and agitates for an exit the next (mentioning no names, Mr Paquetá).
It just goes to show that you can buy talent but loyalty is a rare commodity indeed.
George Earthy’s words today, upon being sold, are humbling, poignant and a reminder indeed that few, indeed, really ‘get’ this club and what it means to wear the shirt:
“As a lifelong West Ham United fan, who had a Season Ticket for as long as I can remember and was once a mascot walking out at Upton Park with Mark Noble, all I ever dreamed of was playing for the first team one day….
…To the fans, I just want to say a huge thank you for your support. From getting knocked out on my debut in front of you all, to then scoring the next time I was out there, was something special, and made even better knowing I had your support along the way. As one of you, I know exactly what this Club means, so to be able to represent it as a first team player was very special.
George Earthy scored one game back – after dramatic knock out on debut
I’m leaving, but I’ll be a West Ham fan forever. It’s my Club, it’s been my home, and I was just lucky enough to have fulfilled my dream.” ( whufc.com)
In an age of mercenaries who come in, take the cash and then agitate for a move to make their agent – and themselves – multi- millionaires in the process, George Earthy represented everything that is good about this wonderful club. We wish him every success in his future career whilst just harbouring a tinge of regret that we didn’t perhaps get to see the best of him, which is hopefully still to come.
Wow! George Earthy. West Ham. What a gent and an example to all. Good luck George. I would have kept you over any of this overpaid want away rubbish.
Very sad to see Potts and Earthy go.
Never given a run for long enough.That is why young players leave, because they know they will be given the chance, and when so young and working hard to earn their places they will mature into great players and we will live to regret the sales.It is amazing how we manage to get them at such young ages, so we must be doing something right, but fail them when they want to progress into the first team.
It’s like Scarles, yes he made a mistake at the week-end and it is very easy to blame him, but the performance by the rest of the team let him down.
He will bounce back only stronger and would have learnt by his mistake, because he only wants the best for the club and is a great lad, so at the week-end I hope Nuno sticks with the lad and we all get behind him because he is on of us
A Hammer
We should have built on this loyalty; instead of getting shot of him. A very sad day & I wish him all the best & genuinely hope that he rubs the club’s nose in it with his future success.
All the best George.
And that is precisely why the Club ie Nuno should give a preference to home grown players.
Callum Marshall could have done what Pablo did (or didn’t do) in the last 6 months .
Players who have come up through the age group teams will always have more loyalty / feeling for the club than the hired mercenaries brought in from outside.
Very well said.
I thought the benefit of life in the Championship might be to blood this crop of youngsters and come back up with a more committed bunch who won’t have their head turned at the first offer of more money. Like Bowen.
If there is genuinely no chance of first team football then we should Labour under a misapprehension but are earthy and Marshall seriously worse than Pablo – who must be blackmailing someone to get into the first team each week?
I said this a while ago.Mercenary players who got us relegated but with the arrogance to think they are far too good to play in the Championship.
Great words George. Thank you for everything and good luck for the future, I hope to see you back here as a West Ham player, at great expense.
Yup totally agree it’s painful to see academy players go especially when they don’t really want to. It’s sad but true though that not many recently have really hit the first team standard and done much when they left.
Prior to NES they didn’t get a chance and NES hasn’t really given any of them a serious run. Maybe a different coach more committed to developing academy players might have better outcomes? Or maybe they just aren’t good enough. It’s also hard to progress when bigger clubs poach the most promising ones.
But if they aren’t good enough now in the Championship then they aren’t good enough.
Boyhood dreams, I imagine the feeling of achieving such a dream must be out of this world.
I wonder how a team filled with talented home grown or fully committed players would do over a season compared to the dross that has just got us relegated. It would make supporting them much more appealing.