Back in July, whilst enduring a long spell on the treatment table following his hamstring surgery that cost him half a season out of football, West Ham’s young Flying Dutchman made a bold prediction during an interview conducted in the middle of his rehabilitation.
Injured in the preceding January, Crysencio Summerville didn’t reappear for the whole of the second half of the season and became the ‘forgotten man’ of the summer 2024 transfer window. Never doubting his own ability, however, Summerville made his prediction in July of last year as he struggled to return to match fitness, declaring to the club web site whufc.com:
“When I’m back, it’s going to be showtime”
Few of us back then expected him to be true to his word, considering it a little hype and a little bravado as the youngster struggled for fitness after surgery.
But ‘showtime’ it has most definitely become.
His sixth goal in seven games has electrified the Hammers’ fight against relegation and has now helped see off two FA Cup opponents. He has gone from a bit-part player hardly used under Lopetegui or Potter to Nuno’s ‘main man’ in a crisis and he delivered again yesterday.
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“showtime” – Summerville’s prediction during his summer of rehab
Calls abound now in the Netherlands for Summerville to be selected for the World Cup, according to the nytimes.com/athletic:
“A motivating factor for Summerville’s form is to earn a place in the Netherlands’ World Cup squad. They [their source] *indicated that Summerville had been told he was on Ronald Koeman’s radar ahead of March’s friendlies against Norway and Ecuador. Summerville earned a combined total of 37 caps from under-16 to under-21 level, but has yet to feature for the national team.*”
If he keeps up this level of scoring, ‘Cry’ must be knocking on the door of the Dutch senior squad.
The international break next month will surely see him called into the Netherlands side for their pre-world cup friendlies: “Showtime” may then very well be coming to the world’s biggest stage this summer.
Keeping hold of their explosive winger could prove problematic for West Ham if he gets the chance to show what he can do in front of a world wide audience.