Alphonse Areola has had just over 400 minutes of action for West Ham United so far this season, being the second choice option for David Moyes.
He’d been on loan at the Hammers last season, and that move was made permanent in June of this year.
Sunday’s edition of L’Equipe had a feature on the goalkeeper and how he’s not hit the career peaks that were expected of him as a youngster. He’s been a starter for France during the current international break, after injuries to Hugo Lloris and Mike Maignan meant Didier Deschamps had to turn to his third choice.
The French newspaper insist Areola had long kept his dream of being first choice for PSG and at times he came close to that. Unfortunately for the player, he wasn’t able to fulfil that dream, and went out on loan to Lens, Bastia, Villarreal, Real Madrid, Fulham and then finally found a longer term home at West Ham.
L’Equipe quote Areola’s former agent, Franck Belhassen, as saying: “He has all the qualities, the size, the game, he was the goalkeeper of the future. I sometimes wonder how it is possible that he is not a starter at a top European club. But for that, you need character.”
The West Ham stopper started for France on Sunday evening as they lost 2-0 to Denmark. L’Equipe rated his performance as worthy of 5/10 but that was still the best mark given to any of Deschamps’ team.
