West Ham United: Garth Crooks raves about Kurt Zouma after what he did v Everton
Garth Crooks has raved about Kurt Zouma after the West Ham captain’s performance in the 3-1 victory against Everton at Goodison Park.
The defender scored the Hammers’ first goal of the game with a header from a corner which set them up to overturn their 1-0 deficit with two late goals from Thomas Soucek and Edson Alvarez.
Crooks was stunned after Zouma was not affected by giving away a penalty and went on to turn in a strong performance to help his side win all three points.
Writing in his BBC Sport Premier League Team of the Week column, Crooks shared: “He gave away the penalty but that didn’t faze him in the slightest – Kurt Zouma returned to Goodison Park and played a blinder in West Ham’s 3-1 win.
“His headed goal from a corner was as good as I’ve seen from a defender. He was head and shoulders above everyone else in the box.
“The West Ham skipper may not be the most comfortable defender on the ball but has an enormous leap from a standing jump and he is a ferocious competitor. The Hammers don’t play around at the back – they keep it simple and it suits them.”
Kurt Zouma has polarised opinions at West Ham
His performance and goal against Everton were certainly deserving of some high praise, but speculation has been surrounding the captain as to where his long-term future lies.
Zouma has been the subject of contract speculation after reports that David Moyes wants to hand his defender a new deal in the summer, but some including Frank McAvennie have not been convinced by his performances this season.
As Crooks mentioned, Zouma isn’t the best on the ball and prefers more of a no-nonsense style of play – something which West Ham supporters have criticised Moyes for playing in the first half of this season, leading to pressure on his job.
While the possibility remains that Moyes could depart the London Stadium at the end of the season, his exit would likely lead to further speculation surrounding Zouma’s future given his style of play and contract situation.
In other West Ham news, Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer have mooted a new Jarrod Bowen update.
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