The international season being upon us, along with FIFA’s club world cup championships and the UEFA u21 championships, means there are ample opportunities in the ‘close season’ for aspiring upwardly mobile players to make a name for themselves: Either with new clubs circling or, in the case of [Michail Antonio](https://www.claretandhugh.info/west-ham-talks-collapse-as-antonio-nears-hammers-exit/), even just to prove to his existing club that he’s worth a punt for another season after his miracle recovery.
Another West Ham player very much in the spotlight and under media scrutiny is Mexico’s **Edson Alvarez**. Virtually written off as surplus to requirements at the London Stadium thanks to missing most of Potters’ last match day squads, the Mexican is experiencing something of an upturn in form on the international stage. He seems to be back to his industrious best and hauingl single handedly his country through the early stages of this years’ CONCACAF competition.
An Alvarez headed goal just before half time was enough to grab the win against Dominican Republic at the weekend.
Displaying decent fitness and an obvious recovery from the back injury sustained in March, Alvarez may be playing himself back into Potter’s good books, if he can just stay out of the referee’s notebook and keep his discipline in check, he may create an about-face in Potters’ thinking and ensure West Ham still make use of him next season.
Not enough credence was given to his injury last summer: Alvarez was playing whilst only partially fit under Lopetegui and that may well account for the late tackles and dreadful disciplinary record. A return to the ‘Alvarez’ of his first season under David Moyes might be on the way in which case he can go back to being an asset and not a liability.