Everton beat West Ham United to the signing of striker Henry Onyekuru and it turns out Slaven Bilic may have been betrayed.
The Nigerian attacker, who scored 22 goals in 38 games for Belgian side KAS Eupen last season, looked set for a move to the Hammers only for Toffees boss Ronald Koeman to beat Slaven Bilic to the punch.
Onyekuru has been loaned to Belgian side Anderlecht for next season, something which infuriated Hammers fans even more given their club’s desperation for strikers.
And they will be angered further by the news that controversial former Premier League forward Peter Odemwingie had a hand in his fellow Nigerian Onyekuru choosing Everton over West Ham.
Peter Odemwingie
That’s despite Hammers boss Bilic allowing Odemwingie to train with the club in a bid to keep his fitness up last season while he searched for a new club.
But that’s not the only time the East Londoners had helped him out.
Back in 2006 Odemwingie trained at West Ham as a youngster when his agent was former Hammer Billy Jennings.
Speaking of his time at West Ham, Odemwingie told Sky Sports’ Fantasy Football Club back in February: “My agent was a household name at West Ham – Billy Jennings, a former player.
“He had connections at the club there and after a game against Scotland he said ‘you can train at West Ham?’
“I said ‘of course, that’s fantastic’. It wasn’t a trial but he wanted to look at how I’d be in the set-up in England.
“It was a physical league and I was just 21 and he wanted to see my quality. I was with Paolo Di Canio, Joe Cole, Rio Ferdinand – big names – so it was a dream come true to me.
“It was really nice experience. That’s when I thought this is the place I want to play football.”
But just a few months after taking the side of Dimitri Payet as he forced a move away from the Hammers, as reported by Sky Sports, Odemwingie advised Onyekuru to plump for Everton.
That’s according to the player himself, who spoke to Own Goal Nigeria after completing his move to Goodison Park.
“Before making the decision I seek some advice from Nigeria ex players like Odemwingie, and he gave me some advice you know. I have some other clubs you know ready to offer more than what Everton did”, he told Owngoalnigeria.com.
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic let Odemwingie train with the club last season
So after opening the door to a career in the Premier League and allowing him to train with the club and use the facilities towards the end of that career, that is how Odemwingie has repaid the Hammers?
Fans will be hoping any future targets will offer advice more favourable to West Ham adding to their solitary signing of Pablo Zabaleta.
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