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West Ham Academy Player Follow Up: Anthony Scully

By Adam Smith

LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 17: Dimitri Halajko, Manager of West Ham United U23 looks on prior to the Premier League 2 match between West Ham United U23 and Stoke City U23 at London Stadium on February 17, 2020 in London, England. (Photo by Alex Burstow/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 17: Dimitri Halajko, Manager of West Ham United U23 looks on prior to the Premier League 2 match between West Ham United U23 and Stoke City U23 at London Stadium on February 17, 2020 in London, England. (Photo by Alex Burstow/Getty Images) /
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West Ham have made some curious decisions over the years, but a move that flew under the radar was the bargain sale of Anthony Scully, a promising homegrown striker.

The best West Ham team this season was the U23 development team, who went undefeated to top the PL2- Division 2 table this year. Led by Dan Kemp, Nathan Holland, and Anthony Scully, the young Hammers had a meteoric rise through the table and refused to look back after each result.

A big component to this success was the emergence of Anthony Scully, a former scholarship player brought in by Terry Westly. The Irish youth team International saw success form grasping opportunity this year after injury and transfers opened the opportunity for him to start and play regularly.

The striker position was believed to be Xande Silva’s to take and command, hopefully springboarding off into a position with the senior team’s starting XI. A serious and longterm injury concern kept Silva out of the U23s from the start of the season to February 2nd where he made his return. He scored and assisted, and would total three goals and one assist in the final three matches of the year.

Maybe the pending return of Silva made Scully spare parts, but it just doesn’t make sense! Scully ended his time at West Ham on the back of a  2019/20 season where he netted 16 goals and added seven assists in 21 games played. At 21-years old, he should have been invested in, not sold off for nothing.

Lincoln City in League One were the lucky recipients of Scully. ExWHUemployee cleared up the move by stating the powers that be at the club didn’t think he could make it to the Premier League with his skill set and with his contract expiring at the end of the year, wanted to ship him on.

The same people who believed Jeremy Ngakia wouldn’t make it were seemingly proven wrong yet again, as Scully transitioned to a new team in a new league and hit the ground running. Before the shutdown, Scully played in five matches, starting the last three consecutively, and scored three goals and one assist before the shutdown.

West Ham should be scouting Chelsea’s Champions League match. dark. Next

Time will tell if the Hammers will regret this move, but with no pressure on the team to sell him other than their own internal penny-pinching, the deal still makes no sense. Regardless, both parties have moved on and Scully is sure to thrive with the Imps! Anthony Scully, congratulations on the move and early success with Lincoln!