OPINION
West Ham defender Ryan Fredericks has been wowing for the club as of late and it hasn’t gone unnoticed.
Ahead of facing Watford on Sunday, Sky Sports presenter Jeff Stelling heaped praise on the right-back for starting to prove his worth after pointing out many people thought he would have made more of an impact after joining from Fulham.
“A lot of people thought Ryan Fredericks would have made more of an impact this season then he has, but now he seems to be settling in and proving his worth,” said Stelling on Soccer Saturday (Sky Sports Premier League, Sunday May 12th, 14:45).
Granted Stelling was spot-on with his remarks about Fredericks as in recent weeks, particularly his display against Southampton, he has looked worthy of being the Hammers’ first-choice right-back.
When he first arrived from Fulham, some of his displays made you question whether he was good enough to feature in the Premier League as he was constantly exposed.
However it seems Fredericks has proven to be worth the wait.
While it was disappointing enough that the defender’s form had come just as the season was ending, the 26-year-old’s luck got even worse on Sunday in the 4-1 win over Watford.
During the Hammers’ comfortable win Fredericks had to be substituted in the 26th minute due to picking up a knock, as confirmed by the club’s official Twitter account, and his season ended earlier than expected.
Given that the Hammers’ next competitive game isn’t for a while yet, meaning Fredericks’ latest setback won’t cause much fuss, the defender is surely feeling like Stelling jinxed him by praising him ahead of facing Watford.
While Fredericks got to show glimpses of his talent before being subbed, he didn’t get to do enough to warrant Stelling’s pre-match verdict.