Graham Potter has leapt to the defence of signing Evan Ferguson in January, with the striker struggling for gametime.

Despite the expectation when the Ireland international arrived by Brighton, Ferguson has had minimal impact thus far in east London, with Potter clearly protecting his fitness – however many are questioning why, especially if the club were considering a permanent move in the summer.

Potter though has defended Ferguson when talking to the press, stating that he’s on track and he’s very happy with his input – even if many are struggling to know what that has been.

“He’s where we expected him to be when he came in,” said the West Ham boss, as reported by the clubs Official Website. “He came in as a young player who has had time out with injuries, to come and help the squad, and that’s what he’s done.

“He came on against Brentford and made a good impact, and he’s done well when he’s been in the games. He’s building himself up all the time, and we’re really happy with him.”

West Ham take on former boss David Moyes who now leads Everton, with the game at Goodison Park considered one that our Hammers must avoid defeat, especially as we go into an international break after the fixture.

“David’s done a really good job up there,” added Potter. “He’s a top, top coach, and someone I have huge respect for.

“He achieved a lot here at West Ham. He won a major trophy and his teams were competitive towards the top end of the Premier League table for several seasons, and I know how hard that is.

“I think we all want to improve all the time, but David set a high bar here, and everyone at the Club has a lot of respect for him. We all wish him well at Everton, just not on Saturday!”