I Owe Tottenham Hotspur But I’m West Ham Now – Hammers Star

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West Ham United defender Ryan Fredericks has admitted that he owes Tottenham Hotspur a token of gratitude for converting him from a promising, but inconsistent winger, to a Premier League level full-back.

Fredericks, who is a product of the Spurs academy, joined the Hammers on a free transfer in the summer following his stellar campaign with Fulham in the Championship last season.

The 26-year-old initially started off as a winger, but he was eventually converted into an attacking full-back under the guidance of the former Tottenham manager Tim Sherwood, during his time in charge of the Under-21s at White Hart Lane.

Fredericks admitted that he still owes a debt of gratitude to Sherwood, Tottenham and all his other coaches, who helped him successfully make the transition and establish himself as a full-back at senior level.
 

“The coach who converted me from a winger to a full-back was Tim Sherwood, who was managing the Under-21s at the time”, Fredericks told the official West Ham programme ahead of the EFL Cup clash with Spurs.

“I got on well with Tim, he taught me a lot and he pushed me to go out on loan and get that experience, first at Brentford and then at Millwall, where I first played senior football as a full-back.

“I learnt a lot there and had some good coaches, both in the Under-18s – Alex Inglethorpe and John McDermott – and at the time I made the transition to senior football – Tim, Chris Ramsay and Les Ferdinand – who taught me everything I know.

“They converted me from an out-and-out winger into an attacking full-back, which is probably how I’ve made it to the highest level.

“But obviously I’m a West Ham player now and my affiliations with them are long gone.”

Fredericks scored and registered an assist in his last appearance for the club during West Ham’s thumping 8-0 win over Macclesfield Town in the previous round of the EFL Cup.