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As shared by the club, Lukasz Fabianski has clinched the LFA Goalkeeper of the Year award as many West Ham United supporters share their delight at the news.

Fabianski has been a mainstay under manager David Moyes this season and has put in some impressive performances, with the Irons even rewarding him with a new contract earlier this campaign.

The Poland international, who signed from Swansea City back in 2018, has gone on to make 96 appearances for West Ham in all competitions and has made the joint-second most starts out of the entire team this season (WhoScored).

The London Football Awards saw fit to acknowledge his performances over 2020/2021 with the goalkeeper of the year honour as Hammers supporters flocked to herald this news.

As well as Fabianski, manager David Moyes also got honoured with his own award in coach of the year.

Find all of their best verdicts on this announcement down below.

West Ham fans ecstatic over Fabianski announcement

“Get in FABBBBB”

Credit: @joelitt78828048

“SUPER FABSSSSS”

Credit: @whuabi

“what a guyyyy”

Credit: @franknoble_

“We’re massive”

Credit: @geordiehammer77

“Quite surprised with this one but I ain’t complaining”

Credit: @Jackcoyi

“Get in there lad!!!”

Credit: @ntsikamsuthu

“Congratulations Lukasz well deserved”

Credit: @duncanscott3

“Well done Fab. You were awesome against Chelsea. Congratulations on this award.”

Credit: @CraigardH

In other news: West Ham fans react as club confirm ‘great news’, find out more here.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, Marcus Bent has revealed what Duncan Ferguson has told him about working with Carlo Ancelotti.

Ferguson’s final two seasons in his playing career crossed paths with Bent’s two years spent at Goodison Park, and the latter revealed they’re still in contact.

“I speak to him now and then. Dunc’s a hard one to get hold of and a hard one to get anything out of,” he told Football FanCast.

“He’s a very humble man and strict about what he says and what he does on and off the pitch.”

Having spent 11 seasons across two spells with the Toffees, the former Scotland striker returned to Merseyside in 2014 to become part of the coaching staff.

Following the departure of Marco Silva during December 2019, Ferguson became interim manager and remained unbeaten during a four-game spell, which included a memorable victory over Chelsea.

He was rewarded by becoming Ancelotti’s assistant after his appointment as manager later that month and has been working closely with the Italian ever since.

And Bent told Football FanCast that Ferguson has a great responsibility in his role:

“What he has said to me is that he’s good to work with, he asks Duncan’s opinion a lot of the time. The training is good, he lets Dunc take a lot of training sessions, so his opinion counts.

“Dunc is a massive Evertonian and a big part of the club, and he respects Dunc’s opinion.”

Rangers were heavily linked with a move for BSC Young Boys striker Jean-Pierre Nsame last summer and after another exceptional campaign from the Cameroonian international, it seems that Steven Gerrard and Ross Wilson made a mistake in not bringing him to Ibrox.

His performances in recent seasons have seen him being linked with several Premier League sides in recent weeks, with teamTALK suggesting that Newcastle, Southampton, West Ham and Celtic all said to be interested.

This season has seen the 27-year-old contribute 25 goals and nine assists in all competitions for the Swiss Super League side, so it certainly seems fair to suggest that he would have been an excellent addition to Gerrard’s side last summer.

Whilst the likes of Alfredo Morelos and Kemar Roofe have impressed this season, Cedric Itten has struggled and Jermaine Defoe has featured a lot less, so having a prolific goalscorer such as Nsame in the squad could have resulted in Rangers prolonging their cup runs.

It is something of a surprise that Young Boys were able to keep hold of him last summer, as he scored a remarkable 41 goals in all competitions.

His manager, Gerardo Seoane, was full of praise for the striker after his extraordinary season, saying:

“Jean-Pierre Nsamé has had an extraordinary season. He has really progress especially in terms of taking responsibility in the team. He is very physical, with an unbelievable ability in front of goal. He is very present in the penalty area and all the balls that comes, he puts them in the back of the net, thanks to his technic and strength.

“Jean Pierre (Nsame) is a great personality, with a great character and mentality. He is also present and hard-working and put his all for the team. He is not egoistic. He always puts the team first, that’s what I like so much about him because it is a big human quality and above all he is very humble and I’m very certain that he will have a great career.”

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The £6.3m-rated striker certainly seems as if he could be on the move this summer and if he goes on to impress in the Premier League, or even in the Scottish Premiership with Rangers’ rivals Celtic, then Wilson’s failure to sign him last summer should definitely go down as a disastrous decision.

And, in other news… Wilson set to hand Gerrard huge boost as £2.25m-rated beast’s Ibrox deal edges closer

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Steve Bull, who scored 306 goals for Wolves during his career, has claimed that his former club doesn’t want players like Cristiano Ronaldo to sign.

Ronaldo has been linked with a move to Wolves, with his agent Jorge Mendes helping a number of his clients join the club since they won promotion back to the Premier League.

The £491,000 per week striker would join eight other Portuguese players currently on the books at Wolves, and he has been rumoured to have wanted out at Juventus since they were knocked out of the Champions League by Porto.

Speaking on how Ronaldo would be a good move but also why Wolves don’t need someone like him, Bull told FFC:

“I can’t see why he would want to come to Wolves unless it’s a publicity stunt and he’s short of money.

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“If the rumour happens then it’ll be good for the club because it’ll be a massive PR buzz around the club, but we also don’t want that because we want players to come in and play for the club and stay.”

Wolves’ last big money signing was Fabio Silva from Porto when they paid £36 million for the 18-year old wh0 has scored just twice this season.

Since moving to Juventus Ronaldo has continued to showcase his goalscoring ability having found the net 75 times across three Serie A seasons.

Steven Gerrard looks to have been handed a boost at Ibrox this week after it was confirmed that Rangers captain James Tavernier has made his return to training after a lengthy injury absence.

The right-back has been out injured since Rangers’ 4-3 win against Royal Antwerp in the Europa League in February, and although Gerrard was able to steer his side to title success in the absence of the 29-year-old, his goals and assists have been a big miss.

Fortunately, assistant manager Gary McAllister has confirmed that Tavernier has now made his return to training, although it sounds as if he is doing solo training on the grass with physios rather than with the rest of the first team.

The former Wigan Athletic man has been in outstanding form ever since making the move to Ibrox in 2015 but has been sensational so far this season, contributing 11 goals and nine assists in 29 league appearances. That has seen him average a superb 7.76 WhoScored match rating, which comfortably ranks him as Rangers’ best performer in the Scottish top flight.

Tavernier couldn’t have timed his return much better after it was revealed that Nathan Patterson will be suspended for Rangers’ next four fixtures as a result of him breaking lockdown restrictions earlier in the year.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-rangers-transfer-rumours-and-news” title=”Read this week’s latest Rangers news, transfer rumours and more!”]

This leaves Gerrard without a natural right-back in his squad at the moment, and after some disastrous performances from Leon Balogun in that position in recent games, the manager will surely be delighted that Tavernier is close to a return to action.

If the English defender can pick up where he left off before his injury, there seems no reason why Rangers can’t finish the league season unbeaten, whilst they will also be eyeing success in the Scottish Cup.

Gerrard is certainly a big fan of his captain and was full of praise for him earlier in the season, saying: “I think Tav is someone who, when he goes through the gears, is unstoppable, and we have seen that, or flashes of that so far this season.”

[freshpress-quiz id=“593776″]

Therefore, it is undoubtedly a huge boost for Gerrard that his best performer this season is edging closer to a return to first team action, as it seems clear that Rangers are a much better outfit when he is in the side.

In other news… Gerrard handed huge boost with “world-class” beast who was vital to number 55

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former Premier League midfielder Carlton Palmer has dismissed suggestions that Inter Milan boss Antonio Conte could replace Jose Mourinho at Tottenham.

Reports coming out of Italy (via Daily Star) claim Conte could leave the Italian giants in the summer if he is not backed in the transfer market, and have named Spurs as a possible destination.

With the north London club in a real battle to secure a Champions League spot after going on a very poor run during the January-February period, Mourinho’s job is now said to be on the line.

Palmer, however, believes sacking Mourinho would be a mistake and cannot see 51-year-old Conte ditching Milan for a return to London.

“I think it’ll be the wrong move to sack Jose, I really do,” the retired England international told FFC. “I don’t see the need to sack him, so when the media are talking about, ‘oh, well, he should be sacked’ and talking about replacements… I mean Conte’s just about to win the league in Italy. Why would he want to leave his club?”

Conte’s first spell in England was a very successful one. At Tottenham’s London rivals Chelsea, the 51-year-old managed to guide the Blues to the Premier League title in 2017 and the FA Cup in 2018.

Leeds United have given Hibernian teenager Ethan Laidlaw a trial at the club with a view to potentially signing the Scottish youngster.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side drew 0-0 at home to Chelsea on Saturday, once again proving that they can go toe-to-toe with the best sides in the Premier League.

Leeds give trial to Hibs youngster Laidlaw

According to the Daily Record, Leeds gave a trial to Hibs striker Laidlaw last week, with the 16-year-old considered a hugely exciting prospect.

Described on Hibs’ official website as an ‘agile, quick and skilful attacking player’, he will hope to have impressed during his short stay at Elland Road. Should that be the case, Leeds could eye up a permanent move for Laidlaw this summer.

He signed his professional deal at Hibs last month, highlighting how keen the Scottish Premiership club are to tie him down at Easter Road.

Transfer Tavern take

Laidlaw must be a very promising player to have already signed a professional contract at just 16, so it is exciting to see the Whites linked with a possible move for him.

It is always hard to tell how smoothly any young player will make the step up to senior football, especially in one of Europe’s top leagues, but if Laidlaw is to make the move to Elland Road, he could represent a smart coup for Leeds with plenty of raw talent to nurture into a polished diamond.

In other news, Leeds are reportedly eyeing up a move for a Premier League defender with considerable experience. Read about it here.

Liverpool are continuing to be linked with a move for Lille midfielder Renato Sanches ahead of the summer, and the Portuguese could be the ideal long-term heir for Jordan Henderson.

According to reports from Italy, the 23-year-old ‘seems destined’ to join Jurgen Klopp’s side this summer, as he continues to impress with his performances in Ligue 1.

Whilst the young midfielder is perhaps best known by a lot of Premier League fans for his torrid time on loan with Swansea City, Sanches has proved himself an extremely capable player in his time with both Bayern Munich and Lille, whilst also being one of Portugal’s stars of Euro 2016.

This season has seen Sanches has made 10 starts in Ligue 1 and in the games he has started, he has averaged a solid 6.97 rating for his performances, whilst also contributing one goal.

The midfielder has averaged a solid 89.1% pass accuracy in Ligue 1, whilst Henderson has managed an 87.3% pass accuracy in the Premier League.

Both Henderson’s and Sanches’ main strength is their passing, whilst the Portuguese international is also strong when it comes to dribbling, crossing and defensive contribution.

WhoScored (see links above) suggest that both players like to play long balls and play the ball off the ground often, which suggests that Sanches would fit into Liverpool’s style of play well.

Considering Henderson will turn 31 in June, the Reds arguably need to cast their eye towards the future and look at bringing in a long-term replacement for the influential captain, although his impressive fitness levels suggest that he has a few more years at the top at least.

Sanches also scores superbly on the scouting website FBRef, with his chance creation and progressive passing stats particularly impressive.

He was also well thought of during his time at Bayern Munich, with former manager Niko Kovac full of praise for the midfielder in 2018, saying:

“Renato has an exceptionally good technique, very good speed and a great body.

“It’s true that people fly off him left and right – just like they used to do with Lothar Matthaus.”

Therefore, the 23-year-old could certainly prove to be the long-term replacement for Henderson in this Liverpool side, as all the stats suggest that he would fit well into Klopp’s style of play.

AND, in other news… Edwards can rectify January transfer window blunder with summer swoop for 21 y/o centre-back beast

Aiden McGeady’s Sunderland spell has been a crazy affair.

After initially signing for the club, he was on a weekly salary of around £31k-per-week. It’s hard to suggest he merited that as the club fell into League One.

Though, now on £19k-per-week, he’s more than earning his money at the Stadium of Light. Before Lee Johnson walked into the club, McGeady hadn’t played all season.

An incident where he was pictured alongside Chris Maguire at McDonald’s after a defeat in December 2019 saw him alienated from the side and transfer listed.

He signed for Charlton on loan but then returned to the north-east, again alienated by Phil Parkinson. Though, Johnson clearly recognised he still had something to give and it hasn’t taken the Irishman long to rekindle his fire.

The winger has been phenomenal in recent months, becoming the club’s chief creator. He assisted all four of Charlie Wyke’s goals in the 4-1 win over Doncaster and has ten assists in just 14 outings this term.

He has been running riot down the left-hand side but his contract expires in just a matter of months. If you told McGeady, and indeed the club’s supporters, that he’d stay beyond the summer at the beginning of the season, they’d have laughed.

Though, the reality is that he’s now one of Sunderland’s most important players again. The veteran hinted last week that he wanted to stay in the north-east and according to Kevin Phillips, he more than deserves a new deal.

He told Football Insider: “Why would you not offer him a contract? Whether they go up or not.”

Phillips continued: “It is hard to find players of McGeady’s calibre. He can create goals. It is just a question of whether he has the hunger and desire to do it week in, week out and McGeady has shown recently that he has that. He has been outstanding.”

Kyril-Louis Dreyfus finalised his takeover of the club in the last few days and he will have a whole list of priorities to address. Though, he can start his tenure at Sunderland with a bang by tying down McGeady.

No player has more assists than the 34-year-old in League One this term, and despite his age, he is still as valuable as ever.

McGeady may have lost a yard of pace but creatively, he is still magic. Dreyfus simply has to ensure that his future lies at Sunderland, not elsewhere.

AND in other news, Forget Power: SAFC star who won 6 aerial duels was Johnson’s true hero on Tuesday…

Gareth Crooks believes Tottenham Hotspur should have moved to sign Jesse Lingard from Manchester United in January.

Spurs should have made Lingard move

Lingard made the switch to West Ham on loan last month, and has since scored three goals in four games (Transfermarkt) – one of which came against Spurs on Sunday in a 2-1 win.

Crooks included the England international in his BBC Team of the Week, and he suggested Jose Mourinho should have made an approach. He said:

“I find it particularly interesting that it is Moyes who has given Lingard a chance to rejuvenate his career, when it was Spurs who desperately needed him. Lingard is playing out of his skin.”

Hard to agree

Hindsight is a wonderful thing – it is very easy for Crooks to now say that Mourinho should have moved for £9m-valued Lingard (Transfermarkt) when he is impressing at another club. The fact of the matter is, he had managed just four goals since the start of the 2019/20 campaign before leaving Old Trafford for the Hammers on a temporary basis and it looked like his best days were behind him.

Tottenham have their very own Englishman who has fallen on hard times in Dele Alli – the last thing they needed was to bring in another such player. Lingard is doing fantastically well at the London Stadium, and David Moyes deserves credit for that, but it may not have been the case elsewhere.

In other news, Tottenham are said to be interested in this Champions League midfielder.