Kevin Nolan makes ‘confident’ Divin Mubama prediction at West Ham
Former West Ham midfielder Kevin Nolan has expressed his faith in teenage sensation Divin Mubama to shine in the coming weeks and months.
Despite recent negotiations surrounding the 19-year-old’s future at the club falling flat, with his senior minutes and wage demands not being met, Mubama has recently come into the fold and been utilised by David Moyes on a number of occasions.
With nine appearances for West Ham last campaign, and his first one of this season a key display in the Hammers’ 2-1 victory over Burnley last weekend, Kevin Nolan has tipped the dynamic forward to play a bigger role in the remainder of the season.
“I’m really confident that we’ll be seeing a lot more of Divin in the coming weeks, months and for the rest of the season,” Nolan said to The Standard on Thursday (30 November).
“What Divin will give you is real hard work, energy, he likes to hold the ball up, he’s a good finisher, and makes clever runs. He brings that effervescence, that energy.”
A future star
Mubama has shown time and time again that he is the real deal. With just as many starts for the senior team as European trophies, being part of the squad that won the Europa Conference League, this is just the start for him.
His impact on Saturday against Burnley saw Dara O’Shea turn the ball into his own net for West Ham’s equaliser before Tomas Soucek scored the winner to complete the comeback.
It was not the first time that Mubama has had a would-be goal stripped from him, however. Two own goals and a wrongly awarded handball by VAR have restricted the young forward to just one senior goal, but he is so much more than a statistic.
As Nolan, who works with the club’s youth players as part of Moyes’ backroom staff, says his energy on the pitch is what matters. It is almost contagious, boosting everyone else in the team to work harder.
With the injuries to Michail Antonio and Jarrod Bowen, Mohammed Kudus suffering from a reported illness, and Danny Ings just nowhere good enough to be in the team, the hope is that tonight will be just the beginning of a long run of games for the prospect.
In other West Ham news, a pundit has claimed that a United regular could further his career away from London Stadium.