Hammers goal-getter bettered only by Cole and Nolan back in first-team contention

Follow us on Google Discover

West Ham United forward Ricardo Vaz Te has returned to training having overcome his injury problems.

West Ham United’s 3-1 victory at home to Southampton on Saturday continued their fine run of form and showed that even without their injured and latterly suspended striker Andy Carroll, they could still find the back of the net.

And they have received further good news after forward Ricardo Vaz Te reportedly returned to first-team training having been blighted by injuries this season.

The Portuguese player has been out since the end of October with a dislocated shoulder, but Talk Sport have reported that the 27-year-old is now over his problems and set to help Sam Allardyce’s side for what remains of the season.

Given the form of Kevin Nolan in particular, Hammers fans may feel they do not need another potential goal-getter, but a quick look at the stats shows that when Vaz Te has played this campaign, he has actually been one of West Ham’s most effective players.

His goals-to-games ratio is just .01 behind Nolan and .06 behind Carlton Cole. He is also second only to Nolan when it comes to on-target scoring attempts-per-appearance.

Statistics can often tell you whatever you want them to, but prior to his injury Vaz Te was proving an effective player for the London side and they can surely make a place for him as they attempt to secure a top-10 finish.

It will then be interesting to see what he can do with a full pre-season behind him. He has never been prolific, but in terms of what Allardyce currently has at his disposal, he is certainly one of the better options when it comes to goal-scoring.

image: © Tony Austin