Jimmy Walker was impressed by the ex-Fulham star last season and can't wait to see how battle for Hammers No.1 spot with Lukasz Fabianski plays out
11:02, 07 Aug 2021Updated 11:02, 07 Aug 2021
West Ham boast the best group of goalkeepers they have had for more than a decade after signing Alphonse Areola from Paris Saint-Germain and Scotland Under-21 star Brian Kinnear.
That’s the view of former Hammers keeper and cult hero Jimmy Walker, who reckons you have to go back to his days at the club with Roy Carroll, Rob Green and Shaka Hislop to remember them having such strength in depth between the sticks.
Walker, a Hammer from 2004 to 2009, said: “We had Roy, who was fantastic, Rob, who really made the best of himself, and Shaka, even though he was coming to the end, was great.
“I had my role as second or third choice, I couldn’t quite get back to my levels after my knee injury in the play-off final, and this looks to be the best group since then.
“Lukasz Fabianski has been brilliant. He is a top-four, top-five keeper, but when you get older things start to give way on you a little bit and he showed just a few signs of that last season.
“All in all, he was fantastic and when he played well he was excellent — you have to have a top goalkeeper to finish where West Ham did.
“So he won’t give up the No.1 spot that easily and Areola will definitely have a fight on his hands to get the jersey.
“But Areola is 28, he has been at some big clubs, he played last season in the Premier League and did really well, so he’s coming to play.
“When I was goalkeeping coach at Ipswich last year, we played against him in the Cup with Fulham.
“I didn’t know much about him before but I looked at a few stats and clips, and then in the game he looked very capable.
“I spoke to Scotty Parker and he said, ‘We had a great shout getting him’, so when he signed for West Ham I was really excited.
“And if Areola gets in straight away, we don't know, he might have gone in and smashed and be given the nod, then you can’t see him being dislodged.
“Then you’ve also got Darren Randolph, who’s very capable, and I’ve been impressed with what I have seen of Kinnear.
"Maybe Kinnear is cover for Randolph to leave because he is a quality keeper with loads to offer, maybe in the Premier League but definitely at the top of the Championship.
“Nathan Trott needed to go to play football and he has gone to Nancy on loan but he’ll come back next year and you’ll be looking for him to push the top two as well, so it’ll be a great contest.
“West Ham have the nucleus of a really good squad and, if they can keep Declan Rice and sign two or three on the back of that, they can cement themselves in the top seven or eight.”
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