Julen Lopetegui has praised the club’s wingers ahead of a huge clash with Manchester United at the London Stadium this weekend.
The West Ham head coach will be desperate for a win this weekend and looks set to let wingers Jarrod Bowen and Cryseciao Summerville flourish in order to do so. The Hammers will be without the suspended Mohammed Kudus, so Summerville has a huge opportunity to step up on the left flank.
Lopetegui said: “Cry (Crysencio Summerville) was a good signing, for sure, for the Club, not only for this year, but for a lot of years. And Luis Guilherme too, they are both very young. [Summerville is] a winger, and he wants to drive. He holds the ball, he doesn’t lose the ball easily.
“I think he’s one smart boy, he works hard. I think it’s a good profile to work with him and to develop as a good player, for sure.
“He has played in all the matches, and the player that plays 25 minutes or 20 minutes [is just as important]. Sometimes it’s key. We have to get used to putting importance to the bench player, to the substitutions. Sometimes you have a player that has his quality too.
“He has also played from the start and he played very well. But it is true that for me we have to put the focus in all the players, in all the squad.”
Lopetegui also spoke about Jarrod Boweb’s importance to both the team and the club as a whole. The 27-year-old was named club captain this summer after the departure of Kurt Zouma. He has started the season well, but he is still learning the role of captain.
The 27-year-old already has three goals to his name this season and the boss says his contribution goes far beyond what is seen on the pitch.
“I am sure that he is going to become a legend in the Club I am sure. But now he has to work a lot and he has to do his way because he is [still] young. But he has the profile, perfect profile. He loves the Club. He has quality as a player. He has good behaviour, big commitment. And now he is trying to learn the work of a captain. Because it is a different work.
“A captain has to help the team and his mates to develop his work. And to become a strong team about the character and the personality. And for sure Jarrod is ready to do this.”
Hammers fans will be hoping Bowen can strike up a relationship with Summerville that he has had with Kudus in recent weeks, those two have been the two bright sparks for West Ham in a tough spell. Summerville has looked promising in his limited minutes so far, so he will want to take this opportunity to start with both hands and cause a headache for when Kudus returns from suspension at the end of next month.