Twenty-Plus Goal Per Season Striker To Return to Hammers?

Back in 2013 a young 18 year old forward joined the West Ham youth squad from Waterford United in the League of Ireland. Sean Maguire was considered to be a major prospect after a series of prolific seasons in Irish football and was snapped up by the Hammers. With a style reminiscent of Tony Cottee, Maguire was even likened to Lionel Messi by his youth coach at Waterford!

However, it never quite worked out at West Ham and he was let go at the end of 2015 after loan periods at Colchester, Sligo Rovers and Accrington. Maguire's shoot at the limelight looked to have slipped away.

However, after a bedding in season at Dundalk in 2015 he moved to Cork City at the start of last season and finally at 22 years of age found his stride. Maguire was top scorer in the Airtricity Premier League last year with 18 goals and managed a total of 28 goals in 43 appearances for the club last year, not surprisingly making the Premier League team of the year. Maguire has also become a regular in the Republic of Ireland's under 21 team and talk is of a return to England.

Who knows, maybe he might make a triumphant return to the Hammers? Either way, as an Ex-Hammer we wish him the very best for the coming season.

 

Hammers Starlet Impresses at Bit O' Red

The increasing pressure to capture every possible point in the Premiership brings with it the considerable problem that younger players struggle to get any game time at top clubs. As a consequence, loan periods at lesser clubs provide the most effective outlet for developing stars to strut their stuff.

Unfortunately, for many youngsters the period away from the mother ship presents the beginning of the end of their shot at the big time. Often they find themselves just transporting the problem of game time to a lower league as the likes of Charlton and Peterborough also find themselves unable to take risks with less experienced pros in their hunt for league points.

Happily, Jaanai Gordon's loan period at League of Ireland outfit Sligo Rovers has started well, with the youngster scoring the only goal in a preseason friendly against big local rivals Derry City. Playing alongside ex-Hammer Kieran Sadlier, his pace and growing physical strength proved a real challenge for the Candystripes defence. Gordon rattled the bar in the first ha;lf before breaking free to score the winner on the hour mark. Gordon looks to be in good hands with Sligo manager Dave Robertson who previously worked with Jaanai as he progressed through Peterborough's youth ranks.

Meanwhile, ex-Hammer and previous Sligo loanee Sean Maguire is now at Cork City and thus will be hoping to meet up with Gordon when the clubs play eachother on Saturday 2nd April coming.