Conor Coventry is confident that he will be ready to fight for a first-team place at Premier League high-flyers West Ham United next season, speaking to The Athletic.
The present is bright at the London Stadium. The future, maybe even more so.
West Ham supporters, during the pre-season of 2021, were given a glimpse at the next generation of claret-and-blue heroes. And they liked what they saw. In addition to Armstrong Okoflex and Aji Alese, Coventry was one of the stand-out performers of last summer.
The 22-year-old scored against Northampton, ran the show in a 3-0 hammering of Reading and certainly looked the part in and amongst his more experienced team-mates.
In fact, some went as far as to suggest that West Ham might have a new Michael Carrick on their hands.
A disappointing loan spell at Peterborough in the first half of this season felt like a step in the wrong direction after making such impressive progress but a lack of opportunities at London Road has not stopped Coventry dreaming of taking a leaf out of Declan Rice or Ben Johnson’s book.
Premier League debut incoming?
“I think last season I was a good enough player (to play in West Ham’s first-team),” says the confident midfielder, who is having a much better time on loan at League One promotion-pushers MK Dons these days.
“From pre-season, you could probably see that.
“I’ve experienced a lot within the year. And, on the pitch, my mental state is a lot more developed than it would’ve been at the first of the season. So I feel in a much better place to challenge next season.
“I see Ben Johnson’s progress and it gives me hope. We’ve been very friends since we were 10. It shows you young players from the academy are good enough to play.
“I have more belief in myself, more experience, knowledge of the game, and I’m hungrier. It’s my club, I’ve been there since I was 10 and it’s where I want to play.”
The retirement of captain, leader and legend Mark Noble could open up a place in West Ham’s midfield for Coventry. Alex Kral, a contender for this season’s most forgettable signing, will also be on his way out the door.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
