Alan Shearer has drooled over West Ham defender Issa Diop for his performance in the Hammers’ 1-0 win over Tottenham on Saturday.
The Frenchman played a starring role in the impressive victory, and Shearer was eager to single him out for praise.
Speaking on Match of the Day (BBC One, 22:58pm Saturday April 27th) , as quoted by Football.London, he said: “I could pick out a few performances but a towering display from Issa Diop, everything he did was almost perfect.
“His tackling, reading of the game, pace, getting in front of forwards all afternoon. His awareness of what’s going on in and around him, he won so many tackles. He was immense. There was no way through for Tottenham.
“He took the ball off players with considerable ease. He reads the game superbly well.
“He was absolutely magnificent.”
OPINION
This is a glowing review from Shearer, and one that was wholly deserved. Diop was fantastic yesterday, and with every passing Spurs attack he seems to grow in confidence more and more. The Frenchman’s form had dropped a little in recent weeks, so it will be a huge source of relief for Manuel Pellegrini to see him back in the kind of mood that made him such an instant favourite at the London Stadium. It is no coincidence, however, that this sudden return to form has come about just as Fabian Balbuena has been reintroduced alongside him. The Paraguayan formed a promising partnership alongside Diop earlier in the season, and it’s a shame that his knee injury disrupted their flow when it did. Now he is back, however, the Hammers have plenty to look forward to, and the hope will be the these two can marshall the heart of the Irons.