Bournemouth success good news for ex-Hammers

  • by Staff Writer
  • Tuesday, 28th April 2015

Elliott Ward and Junior Stanislas could both be playing in the Premier League next season after Bournemouth all but guaranteed promotion to the top flight.

Ward, 30 and Stanislas, 25 - plus development squad coach Stephen Purches - all began their careers with West Ham but are now at Dean Court, where they celebrated their promotion to the Premier League with a 3-0 win over Bolton last night.

For central defender Ward, it will be his third promotion to the top flight following previous successes at West Ham (2004/05) and Norwich City (2010/11). Restricted to only three outings this season, largely due to injury, Ward made 18 first team appearances for West Ham before joining Coventry in the summer of 2006.

Whilst former trainee Purches - who emerged from the Academy at the same time as the likes of Joe Cole and Michael Carrick - failed to make a single first team appearance for West Ham during his time at the club in the 1990s, Stanislas enjoyed rather more success, primarily under Gianfranco Zola.

The wide man made 25 starts and a total of 47 appearances for West Ham, having made his debut against Tottenham at White Hart Lane in April 2009.

His most prolific season came in 2009/10, when he featured 28 times for United's first team during which he scored four times - twice in the Carling Cup with a memorable brace against Millwall and twice in the league, against Fulham and Burnley (both at the Boleyn).

Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe is one of many to be linked with Sam Allardyce's position at West Ham - although the chances of him leaving the South Coast following the Cherries' (virtually-guaranteed) promotion are slim to none.

* This story was updated on 28/4.

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