If requested to place £1 on which participant was most probably to pull West Ham to Premier League survival, you’d probably have picked the fallacious winger.
The protected cash was on Jarrod Bowen. Captain, talisman and, till not too long ago, their predominant supply of objectives and that almost all valuable of commodities: hope.
And but it’s been Crysencio Summerville charging down the other flank with six objectives in his final seven video games, to provide Nuno Espirito Santo’s aspect a puncher’s shot of staying up. It was Summerville who got here off the bench to spare West Ham’s blushes at Burton Albion within the FA Cup.
If he can put Bournemouth to the sword on Saturday, and Nottingham Forest lose by a distance to Liverpool, West Ham might finish the weekend outdoors the underside three for the primary time since November 30. They had been seven factors adrift when Summerville began his dramatic upturn in kind.
However earlier than his strike towards QPR within the FA Cup, Summerville had one purpose in his first 38 video games since becoming a member of from Leeds in August 2024 for £25million. For 9 months he sat on the sidelines with a hamstring harm, suffered in Graham Potter’s first recreation in cost simply over a yr in the past.
Those that know the 24-year-old properly say he feels he should make up for misplaced time, not simply to point out West Ham followers why the membership splashed out on him but additionally with a World Cup developing this summer season. Throughout his restoration, Summerville made a daring prediction of what was to return: ‘After I’m again, it’s going to be showtime.’ The curtain has risen eventually.
Crysencio Summerville has been main West Ham’s survival bid nearly by himself, with six objectives in his final seven video games
The Dutchman bailed out the Hammers at League One Burton Albion final week, scoring an extra-time winner to take his aspect into the FA Cup fifth spherical
‘He simply had essentially the most pleasant, skilful toes I’ve seen in years,’ former England and West Ham defender Chris Powell tells Each day Mail Sport of the primary time he noticed a 17-year-old Summerville, whereas assistant to Alan Pardew at ADO Den Haag.
‘I’ve been lucky sufficient to see some high wingers in my time – he was one of the naturally proficient I’ve seen. The way in which he acquired the ball, his steadiness, his understanding of the place the defender was and the place he wished to place him. He was at all times in management.
‘The crew was struggling however the gamers felt that he was the one who was going to get them out of bother. He was a brilliant, shining mild among the many group.’
They liked him at Den Haag, the place he was on mortgage from Feyenoord, and Summerville gave Powell his shirt when Leeds performed Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough just a few years in the past.
Summerville grew up within the powerful port of South Rotterdam because the second-youngest of eight youngsters. He comes from a Surinamese background, his mum Jasmina made certain he studied and truck driver dad Errol coached at native membership RVVV Noorderkwartier, the place Summerville began taking part in soccer aged 4.
Clarence Seedorf, born in Suriname, was one in every of Summerville’s inspirations whereas Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink gave him recommendation whereas he was at Leeds. Summerville thought the followers calling him ‘Jimmy’ was in reference to their former striker and his compatriot and never, actually, to the Scottish 80s electro-pop star Jimmy Somerville.
Summerville is in contact with most of his former coaches, together with former Liverpool ahead Dirk Kuyt, who labored with him on the Feyenoord academy. It was Kuyt who castigated the younger Summerville for turning up late to coaching and never at all times giving his all. At Leeds, whom he joined from Feyenoord in 2020, it was by no means his soccer that was going to be the difficulty.
‘A giant issue for him is self-discipline, professionalism and work ethic,’ mentioned his then-Leeds supervisor Jesse Marsch. Summerville endured a gradual begin there, too. He by no means made a league begin below Marcelo Bielsa and requested to exit on mortgage.
‘I’ve been lucky sufficient to see some high wingers in my time – he was one of the naturally proficient I’ve seen,’ says Summerville’s former coach Chris Powell
Summerville struggled initially at Leeds however burst onto the scene with a last-gasp winner away to Liverpool in 2022 that secured a primary win at Anfield in 21 years
Summerville (proper) is in contact with most of his former coaches, together with former Liverpool ahead Dirk Kuyt (left), who labored with him on the Feyenoord academy
However like at West Ham, his time got here. A final-gasp winner at Liverpool, in solely his second Premier League begin, secured Leeds’ first victory at Anfield in 21 years and ended the Reds’ 29-match unbeaten residence streak. He scored in each his subsequent two begins towards Bournemouth and Spurs, then hit 19 objectives the subsequent season and was the Championship Participant of the Yr.
West Ham got here calling and, by then, it was a much more mature, keen younger man who arrived below Julen Lopetegui.
‘He was a really quiet man when he arrived however very assertive,’ one in every of his West Ham coaches, who spoke on the situation of anonymity, tells Each day Mail Sport. ‘He mentioned that although he was arriving from the Championship, he was aiming for large issues however in a really humble means.
‘He was at all times very devoted to his studying, understanding that he had luggage of high quality however understanding that he isn’t the completed article. He was at all times asking for extras after coaching. There would at all times be days the place he would ask for 10-Quarter-hour to practise his speciality, reducing inside to then have a shot aiming for the again publish.’ Summerville’s purpose at Burton was the newest instance of this trademark end.
‘He was at all times asking for video about his actions within the recreation, what could be finest for him technically and tactically to enhance in that second,’ the coach provides. ‘Then he’d apply it instantly within the subsequent recreation.
‘It was at all times going to be tough to discover a means into the beginning line-up however he did not thoughts. He was going to be an vital participant for the membership.’
Summerville retains a imaginative and prescient board – a collage of images, phrases and phrases – to maintain monitor of his aspirations and earlier than the beginning of the yr he wrote down his checklist of objectives. He retains them secret however you think about, along with his exploits in the previous few weeks, that he’s gone some strategy to ticking just a few off. These round West Ham have seen an additional spring in his step in current weeks.
Nobody has tried extra dribbles within the Premier League for the reason that begin of the yr than Summerville, or extra dribbles that led to a shot or an opportunity created. His mixed seven objectives and assists in all competitions for the reason that flip of the yr is bettered solely amongst Premier League gamers by Cole Palmer and Viktor Gyokeres.
His mixed seven objectives and assists in all competitions for the reason that flip of the yr is bettered solely amongst Premier League gamers by Cole Palmer and Viktor Gyokeres
These round West Ham have seen an additional spring in his step in current weeks
‘He desires to assault the purpose and the participant each single time,’ says Powell. ‘He isn’t about being protected, he is about being artistic and being brilliant and being alive. Followers love these types of gamers however, equally, managers do too when there’s an finish product. You are seeing that now.’
It’s maybe no shock that Nuno is lastly getting the perfect out of him. He’s lengthy been an admirer and tried to signal Summerville in July whereas at Nottingham Forest to interchange Anthony Elanga. The Dutchman had no want to depart. ‘I actually consider that there is a variety of issues but to return from him,’ mentioned Nuno. ‘He is been doing properly, superb, serving to the crew, not solely along with his objectives and assists, however at all times additionally along with his defensive work. I do not see a ceiling.’
Nuno’s system has helped, too, with West Ham now taking part in with recognised strikers like Callum Wilson, Taty Castellanos or the now-injured Pablo Felipe dropping in to carry up the ball whereas Summerville spins in behind.
Means again in 2022, Summerville instructed Each day Mail Sport that ‘my purpose is 2026’, and his want to make the Dutch squad for this summer season’s World Cup has been key in his revival. Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman is believed to be maintaining an in depth eye on him forward of March friendlies towards Norway and Ecuador.
‘It’s nice that he has an opportunity of being within the World Cup squad,’ says Powell. ‘If you concentrate on the Netherlands through the years, they’ve at all times had these vast gamers. You consider Arjen Robben, Marc Overmars, all the best way again to Bryan Roy. Summers is in that mould.’
