WEST HAM BOSS David Moyes may have been frustrated with his side’s overall performance in their draw at Shrewsbury on Sunday, but he offered words of encouragement for Ireland U21 youngster Josh Cullen.
It was a less than pleasant afternoon for Cullen, as he lost two of his teeth in a collision with Abu Ogogo, but the manager praised his display.
“Josh was probably our best player today. Considering he’s only just come back and we’re getting to know him, he did well,” Moyes told West Ham’s official site.
“He had two teeth knocked out and he’s gone straight to A&E to see if they can save them.”
The Essex-born midfielder has been highly thought of for some time now.
The 21-year-old made his West Ham debut all the way back in 2015, when he appeared in the Hammers’ Europa League clash with FC Lusitans.
Later that year, he came off the bench for his Premier League debut in West Ham’s 3-0 win over Liverpool at Anfield.
Ouch!! West Ham’s Josh Cullen loses a tooth! pic.twitter.com/8cp3mU38Oe
— Tim Shires (@timshires) January 7, 2018
Since then, he has spent time on loan at Bradford in League One and Bolton in the Championship, with a return to the latter a possibility in the January transfer window.
Cullen has also impressed for Ireland U21s in midfield alongside West Ham team-mate Declan Rice.
The Boys in Green have gone on an encouraging run in their European Championship qualification campaign and are currently second in their group, two points behind leaders Germany.
After the youngster delivered a man-of-the-match display in their 0-0 draw against Norway last October, boss Noel King said: “I’m always impressed with Josh, he’s our captain, he leads by example.
“He’s technically very good, tackles everybody, he’s going to make a big career in football and we’re delighted to have him.”
The42 has just published its first book, Behind The Lines, a collection of some of the year’s best sports stories. Pick up your copy in Eason’s, or order it here today (€10):
Shocking challenge seen red cards for far less than that
without question it should have been red, the yellow card was a disgrace, distin should also had a straight red for his blatant elbow to skertels’ face
Didn’t hit him hard enough! ;-)
Here here !! He’s Sc€m
The words pot & kettle come to mind
for any other player id say absolutely red but considering its Suarez, he bloody deserved – what goes around
comes around … karma.
Exactly, how many players has he got booked for his dives in the past
2 derbies in a row Everton players are booked for diving but you claim Suarez is a cheat. Clueless.
That’s the only time they dived Suarez dives more times every match. Your the clueless one or are you blinded by the jersey??
Spoddgy, what slimey rock you crawl from?
The LFC supporters club?
Couldn’t have put it better myself haha!!!
Haha, ya know, we have one when we are bad too, not only when winning…
At least your not denying LFC fans come from under a slimey rock
No doubt about it. Red card all day long.
Considering it’s Suarez, he should win some kind of humanitarian award.
All your stupid moron comments doesn’t mean it wasn’t a red card, bunch of fools
It wasn’t a red… Moron!
No of course it wasn’t, even the majority of people who hate the man said it was a red, except someone called john john, who calls someone else a moron but who is in fact so stupid he needs to write his name twice so he doesn’t forget it. Ape
stop feeding the troll Peter !
Ur the guy who started calling others moron and fool!! Did he get a red r yellow card??
He didn’t get the right one
Could not think of a second name…. Hmmmm
Ur reply says it all peter…
Why don’t you crawl back in to the sh*t pile you came from JJ!! You never add anything of value! Honestly boy, show your parents what you writ (if you know them) and see how utterly embarrassed you will look!! Big man!!
Suarez injured Mirallas in the derby last season and didn’t even get a yellow for a deliberate stamp. So revenge for Mirallas was sweet. Should have been a red but a player like Suarez reaps what he sows.
Exactly
Drew blood from Henderson in the 2nd half as well.. Lucky boy
if I was Mirallas I’d get a tetanus straight after the game, just in case….
But when people respond to you, you try to be taken seriously, like you ahem, know what your talking about….
quit yo stalking dude :-(
Niall, why? Was he with your missus??
ah now David, only the loons in here use personal insults………..the rest of us discuss things and engage in whats known as banter :-)
It’s only Suarez
It’s a red card but in life sometimes you don’t get them. I’m sure the Everton fans would point to a similar incident in the derby last year when Suarez stayed on after a nailed on red that put Mirales out for 3 months.
Don’t forget when he got Rodwell sent off for nothing. Que Sera Sera.
Karma indeed, between biting and racial remarks he should expect nothing less then a few hard knocks in games
Deffo should have been sent off but I’d give Mirallas a medal for that wee taster of the karma Blacula has coming his way…
I guess that made keanos gbh assault on haaland ok right? Suarez got his punishments, but not enough for you guys…. Typical BS… Guys also whine about dives, but never mention Bale or Young… Destroys your mediocre credibility….
No sympathy for Suarez.
Yellow enough. A hard challenge. Only a scratch.
He should of hot a red card for not breaking the rats leg!!
You truly are a muppet!
Wow look at the big man!!
Only joking lads ..was a red card all day long!
It actually reminds me of a tackle by Carragher on Nani a few years ago, it also drew blood. He didn’t get red for that, so can’t see the difference really
He makes it hard because he would still get nothing if he was sucker punched right in front of ref anyway… You forget, he is not English… As for that crap you say about how many players he get booked? Only that Everton guy… Which was so wrong…. But remember noddgy, certain English players manage to get penalties, red cards and goals in 1 dive, mr A Young…. Ohhhh but he is Man U….. Lets not mention that… Biased right??
As a Liverpool I’m sick of fake fans talking Sh!te , this has nothing to do with Utd s€um so why bring it up , get a life ya spas
“As a Liverpool” as in a city? Your a city all by yourself! Mad ted that. And you have a spa in it!
Would love to be you.
Suarez dives & wins peno’s all the time. And as for the tackle, karma is a bit*h. It was Suarez who stamped on Mirallas last season and got away with it and don’t forget a couple of years ago Suarez pathetic rolling around faking injury incident to get Jack Rodwell sent off
Aye Ashley young is as bad as Suarez for it but Suarez has also bit an opponent so he is at least one up on young!
In sure you would love to be me going over to support my team a couple of times a year . How many matches do you go to clown !
Ah Terry aka Paul Johson, the posting is all the same.
Hello paul, I see you are “Terry” today, how are you feeling today Terry? As I’ve already said, my offer of professional help is an open one to you(them), all you have to do is ask….
It probably should have been a red but the Liverpool doctor was a disgrace. He clearly tried to tell the ref what to do. Once he had done that the ref couldn’t give a red or it would have looked like he was taking instructions from the Liverpool bench.
I normally don’t watch the premiership games but that was an absolute cracker.
Course it was a red but it was a beaut of a tackle. Suarez goes down too easily when he not touch now refs don’t know if he’s simulating or not which is prob why mirallas didn’t get a card. Ye will have to admit pool fans that he make it hard for the referee they can’t just give him every decision
The stud marks on his knee are a little hint that contact was made!!! How many red cards has he got in the past year for diving compared to players like Young and Bale? U might be surprised!
What comes around goes around