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Name: Jeremy Ngakia

Club: West Ham United

Date of Birth: 7 September 2000

Position: Defender (Right-back/Centre-back), Wide midfielder, Winger

Jeremy Ngakia – his career so far

Ever since he joined the West Ham United academy aged only 14, the incredibly talented Jeremy Ngakia has been advancing through the ranks rapidly, establishing himself as a key component of all the squads he played for during that time. But interestingly enough, before joining the Hammers, the Deptford-born Ngakia had a trial with Chelsea’s academy but after being scouted by West Ham academy goalkeeping coach Jerome John whilst playing for Surrey Quays-based youth club Ballers Football Academy, the Irons swooped in and got his signature.

Of course, this would, in time, prove to be a smart move both by the outfit and the young player himself who ended up progressing quite nicely and adding flair, skill and attacking prowess to the Hammers’ academy throughout the years.

Having advanced through the youth ranks rather quickly, Ngakia made his U18 debut in the 2016/17 season and then made another 16 appearances in the campaign as a schoolboy, also signing his first scholarship papers that very same summer.

The young full-back ended up tallying a total of 36 appearances for the U18s before making a step up into the U23 squad and making his grand debut in February 2018 against Tottenham Hotspur. Since then, he could muster a total of 20 games with two assists under his belt in the process as well.

Even though 2018/19 didn’t really start as he would have wanted it, considering he suffered a foot injury that sidelined him for a while, he recovered well, returning to still play a big part for West Ham United’s campaign.

In 2019/20, however, he finally got his big break, making his senior team debut in a 2-0 loss to Liverpool in January. Since then, he featured three more times, all in the Premier League, but the recent outbreak that put football on hold meant his rise would temporarily be stopped.

Needless to say, big things are expected from him in the immediate future and Ngakia looks ready to take the challenge head-on and win.

Transfer latest

According to some of the latest transfer rumours surrounding Ngakia, the 19-year-old full-back could be in line for a brand new contract at the club. Of course, given his recent rise and incredible talent, this is definitely some excellent West Ham news if it turns out to be true.

Ngakia is young and bound to become even better and the recent praise he’s been getting on all fronts certainly proves as much. Seeing him get a new contract would be just a further testament to the importance he holds for the Hammers’ immediate and long-term future.

Of course, with the summer transfer window approaching rapidly and West Ham struggling to stay afloat in the Premier League amidst Ngakia’s emergence, we shouldn’t disregard the option of transfer rumours slowly but surely entering the picture. The Hammers should definitely stay on their toes.

Player profile

Ngakia looks set to become the perfect modern full-back, capable of helping his team in all phases of play with equal proficiency. Being a defender first and foremost, however, the youngster will have to work on his positioning, decision-making and marking abilities.

That doesn’t mean he’s necessarily not good enough in those aspects but he is very much an attacking-minded full-back who can boast with a great technique, excellent first touch and an abundance of pace when going forward.

When we combine that with his exceptional work rate and enough power to win duels, Ngakia already has the makings of a well-rounded player despite his young age. The foundations for the future are there but it will be up to West Ham to groom him properly to ensure he reaches his full potential.

A lot of Crystal Palace fans are praising former Palace midfielder Ben Watson, dubbed the ‘Peckham Beckham’ by one Eagles supporter, after a fan asked about the player on Twitter.

The central midfielder made 181 appearances for the South London side spanning across six seasons from 2003 to 2009 in which me managed to score 20 goals and provide 16 assists, as per Transfermarkt. He came from the club’s academy and made his professional debut at the age of just 17, so it is easy to see why the player has left fond memories at Selhurst Park.

Many Palace fans believe the player was a great footballer at the club and some wish they could have kept hold of the Englishman for longer, but in 2009 he moved to Wigan for £1.89m and continued to have a great career, including his part in an FA Cup final upset as the Latics beat Manchester City to lift the trophy in 2013, via BBC Sport. He wasn’t just a part of it, however; he came up with the decisive moment as his stoppage time header won the cup for Roberto Martinez’s side.

Here is what these Palace fans had to say following the post about Watson:

Palace fans, do you wish Watson stayed at Selhurst Park  for longer? Comment below with your views!

This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets… 

With the transfer window fast approaching, Liverpool have been linked with a number of European players that they may look to add at the start of next year.

Timo Werner and Jadon Sancho are two of the biggest names to have been mentioned, whilst there has also been speculation surrounding Genk’s Sander Berge (Radio Punto Nuovo via The Daily Mail). The Reds have already faced him twice this season in the Champions League, and Jurgen Klopp praised the 21-year-old old directly at Anfield.

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The midfielder was in action during the international break, playing in midfield for Norway against Malta on Monday, which was his 20th cap for his country. Whilst it may have come against inferior opposition, Berge was outstanding and showed the Merseyside club exactly what he has to offer.

With a SofaScore rating of 7.6, he was the match’s best performer. Going forward, he was particularly impressive, managing an 88% pass accuracy which included four key passes. That was double what any other player on the field managed, and one of them even ended up being an assist for Alexander Sorloth’s winner.

At 6 foot 5, he has a colossal frame, and he made use of that against the Falcons. He managed two tackles, which was the second-most amongst his teammates, whilst no player was able to dribble past him. He also prevailed in five out of the nine duels he contested.

It was a commanding and creative display from the usually defensive midfielder. This performance showed that he is mature beyond his years, and given his build, he would likely settle perfectly into Liverpool’s side.

Currently valued at £19.8m by Transfermarkt, it is the perfect time for the Anfield outfit to make a move for Berge before his price tag rockets and it is too late. Based on this display, it appears to be only a matter of time before that happens.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

£15m move in the summer and six consecutive Premier League starts at the beginning of the season, but it’s fair to say that things have gone downhill for Che Adams since Ralph Hasenhuttl’s initial placement of faith in him.

No goals in his opening seven appearances in all competitions saw him dropped from the squad entirely against Tottenham Hotspur at the end of September, and he’s barely played in the Premier League since.

He has featured for a total of 20 minutes since, and having been in the matchday 18 for five consecutive top flight games, Hasenhuttl made the call to leave him out again against Arsenal on Saturday.

It surely would have been a big blow for the former Birmingham City man when he saw Michael Obafemi earn just the second Premier League start of his career at the Emirates, with Nathan Redmond, Sofiane Boufal, Moussa Djenepo and Shane Long all included too by their Austrian manager.

The fine form of Danny Ings, who now has seven goals in his last eight outings, has hardly helped matters, but the weekend made it clear exactly where the 23-year-old lies in the pecking order right now.

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Hasenhuttl came out and said after Adams was omitted against Spurs that he would “give him a lot of trust”, before saying “he is now in a better way” prior to the 9-0 thrashing by Leicester City – reassuring words.

The former RB Leipzig boss’ latest decision suggests he has turned his back on Adams for now though, with Ings, Obafemi and Long all selected ahead of him against the Gunners.

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He may still have a role to play in the upcoming busy run of fixtures ahead of the festive period, and what important fixtures they are too against the likes of Watford, Norwich City and Aston Villa – all clubs in and around Southampton in the Premier League table as things stand.

Adams will hope to get that all-important goal during that run, but if he doesn’t then him and the club may well have a decision to make in the New Year – a loan exit could be a potential option in order for him to regain some confidence.

In other news, Southampton fans have been discussing a £20m-rated target who scored twice at the weekend…

According to Marca, Everton have Real Madrid superstar Gareth Bale on their shortlist of transfer targets for this summer.

What’s the word?

Ever since Carlo Ancelotti’s arrival as manager back in December, the mood around Goodison Park has lifted. The Toffees have been in far better form under the Italian, losing only to Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City in the Premier League in that time.

And with him being a household name in European football thanks to the countless domestic and European trophies he has won as manager, Everton have seemingly upped the ante when it comes to potential transfer targets.

Hilariously obscure Premier League players – Can you name them all?

World Class score: 95% | Expert score: 80% | Veteran score: 65% | Intermediate score: 45% | Amateur score: 30% | Try Again: 5%

Spanish publication Marca claim that both Bale and James Rodriguez feature on the Toffees’ shortlist, but “although Farhad Moshiri appears willing to offer a long contract to the pair in order to twist their arms, it seems an ambitious move to go for the Madrid duo.”

Sign of ambition

Talk about a move to send shockwaves around both the Premier League and Europe.

If Everton somehow manage to prise Bale away from Madrid, it would be the biggest evidence of just how far Ancelotti has taken Everton in such a short space of time.

The Italian’s arrival as manager alone took the Merseyside club’s reputation up a level, and for them to potentially get Bale too, would be a statement of serious ambition.

The Toffees have largely been hit-and-miss when it comes to the transfer market under the Moshiri era, with shrewd signings like Lucas Digne and Richarlison, being undermined by players like Gylfi Sigurdsson.

Bale’s track record speaks for itself, and aside from the commercial advantages of pulling off such a coup, he would also be a major step-up in quality too – after all, this is a man who scored one of the great Champions League final goals against Liverpool (and that’s certainly something that will have already endeared him to Everton fans).

Getting Bale – who earns a reported £350k-a-week – to sign would be one of the defining moments of Moshiri’s time. Whilst bringing in a world-renowned manager in Ancelotti on board is one thing, signing a bona-fide superstar from Madrid would simply complete Everton’s transformation and be the ultimate symbol of their resurgence.

Meanwhile, Everton fans react to reports about this ace.

Arsene Wenger’s 22-year helm at Arsenal may have come to an end in 2018, but the Gunners’ former manager is now officially back in work.

Wenger, who won three Premier League and a record seven FA Cups during his time with the club, departed The Emirates following a decline in results and the consequent increase and intensification of calls for his departure.

Yet the Frenchman has now been appointed as FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development; a new role within the governing body.

The 70-year-old will return to working in football for the first time since leaving the north London outfit, and these Arsenal fans were certainly delighted to see their former manager back in work. This is especially given the contrast in feelings towards their former manager and current boss Unai Emery – who reportedly could have less than a month to save his job at the club. 

Here are some of the best reactions following the news that Wenger will be returning to football.

Few people would have predicted a night so full of action on Wednesday at Anfield between Liverpool and Arsenal.

The scored ended 5-5 in normal time, before Jurgen Klopp’s Reds prevailed in a penalty shoot-out to advance to the next round of the League Cup.

For the home side, Shkodran Mustafi’s own goal got them under way, before James Milner, former Gunner Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and a double from Divock Origi completed their scoring.

For the visitors, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Lucas Torreira, Joe Willock and Gabriel Martinelli – twice – were on the scoresheet.

Watch the moment Granit Xhaka’s Arsenal career may have come to an ugly end in the video below…

Unai Emery will have been hoping for a win to ease the pressure on his shoulders, but he will now need to look to the Premier League fixture against Wolves to get himself that much-needed victory.

Once again last night, he didn’t escape the wrath of the supporters. This time, they slammed his substitutions, particularly the decisions to bring Mesut Ozil and Torreira off.

They took to Twitter to share their thoughts, and you can see some of the best comments from the social media platform below.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Leeds’ striking conundrum has been a hot topic amongst the fanbase for months now.

Marcelo Bielsa has to choose between Patrick Bamford and Eddie Nketiah on a weekly basis, and up until this point he’s picked the former Middlesbrough striker over the Arsenal loanee every single time he’s gone into a Championship match.

However, a recent revelation should have put Bamford on red-alert, and he needs to step up his game over the coming weeks.

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Nketiah was going to start

Phil Hay revealed in his Q&A with the Athletic on Sunday that Eddie Nketiah was set to have a run of starts, but an injury has prevented him from ever making the starting XI.

This has meant that Bamford’s run of consecutive first XI appearances continued, and it also means that the Boro striker has yet another chance to cement himself as Bielsa’s definite first-choice. It’s an opportunity he simply has to take.

Bamford’s chance

The striker needs to be at his very best over this next few weeks while Nketiah works towards getting back to full fitness.

Nobody is blind to the fact that Marcelo Bielsa doesn’t like rushing players back to the first team, and that means that Bamford will have a few more games to show the Argentine that he should continue to be selected ahead of the 20-year-old.

It won’t be long until Bielsa is once again considering his striking options, and Bamford needs to make sure that he is undroppable once Nketiah is back fit and ready to play.

The 26-year-old returned to goalscoring form last time out when he tucked away a penalty but before that he hadn’t netted in his last ten outings.

He was on a dismal run of form but if he can rediscover the type of performances that saw him score four in his first five matches of the season, both he and Leeds will be a lot better off.

If he does start finding the net more regularly, Bielsa will be left with no other choice but to keep Nketiah on the bench.

Everton fans have taken to Twitter to express their love and fondness of their legendary former player and manager Howard Kendall after this Thursday marked the fourth anniversary of his death.

Kendall took charge of Everton on three different occasions, with his first appointment as manager coming back in May 1981 and his last game coming in May 1998. In this time, the Southport-born stepped out as boss 207 times and went down in history as he won the First Division title in 1984-85 and 1986-87, whilst also picking up an FA Cup 1983-84.

The former Evertonian, who sadly passed away aged 69, also stepped out as a player for the club 78 times over the course of two stints at the club. Kendall scored nine times for the Merseyside outfit and was often deployed at centre-back for the Toffees.

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Fans have remembered him for both his time as the boss and as a player. Although Kendall will forever be remembered more so for his incredible spells as a manager for the club, by winning English football’s greatest prizes.

Here’s what the fans have had to say about this legendary man…

Sunderland fans have been busy naming their shopping list for the January transfer window, and Marcus Maddison is a name on the lips of several fans.The club was linked with a move for the midfielder for much of the summer, though it is not known how concrete the Black Cats’ interest was, and whether they were deterred by having to meet his release clause of £2.5m.Watch League 1 Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

It is little surprise that fans are so keen on him, as he has been a standout player in League One for many years, including this term, helping Posh to the top of the table.

He has six goals and six assists and could be key to improving Sunderland as an attacking force, as other than a 5-0 victory over Tranmere they have struggled on the goal front, with 16 goals in 12 league games prior to that encounter.

Maddison is from the north-east, too, so could fancy a move to Sunderland in January, and if he was to do so it would certainly please some fans, as these reactions show.