West Ham academy boss has said that summer signing Xande Silva will be given the season to bed himself in after delivering a rave review on his talents.
The Portuguese 21-year-old arrived in east London from Vitoria Guimaraes at the beginning of August and while he is yet to feature in the first team under Manuel Pellegrini, he has been catching the eye at under-23 level, netting a hat trick against Tottenham’s reserve side earlier this week.
Speaking of the new arrival, Westley expressed just how impressed he was, while detailing how the youngster would be given the time to settle into his new surroundings.
He told Claret and Hugh: “He is so quick over zero to five yards and has the ability to nick the ball off defenders and get in behind them. He also has a seriously powerful right foot and hits the ball so cleanly.
“He is a very powerful striker and he will be given the season to settle in – it’s down to him what sort of impact he can make at the higher level but he has made a seriously good start. Fair to say we really like the look of him!”
Opinion
It can be tough for any youngster when they make the move overseas to try and better themselves as a footballer, but it appears as though young Silva is doing everything he can to try and make a name for himself at the London Stadium. It is early days yet but a bright start shows the sort of talent he has, and if he can keep up impressing the youth coaches at the club, then he will no doubt be catching the eye of senior boss Pellegrini sooner rather than later. That is the ultimate goal for the youngster, and by keeping his head down and feet on the ground, working hard and dedicating himself, he will hit the expected heights. The only worry is if he might have peaked too early – netting a hat trick in your opening display is bound to set the standards high, and if he cannot constantly live up to the expectations placed on his shoulders, he could be seen as a bit of a disappointment. For now though, things are looking up.