✍ Flynn Downes

[HammerPDC]

Love how much it means

[HammerMan2004]

https://www.whufc.com/news/downes-it-fe ... ham-player

A great interview.

[The Green Man]

Chuffed for him. Glad to get another proper West Ham fan in the squad.

[StevePottsGoalsReel]

Is it ok to feel jealous?

Love that interview. Love the passion. Can already tell he's gonna be massively popular and sounds like he's got the attitude and work ethic to take his game to the next level. Good luck to him.

[Westbourne Bill]

Given his age and the fact he’s apparently rated so highly by Ipswich and Swansea fans, I’d have expected the fee to be a tad higher tbh.

If he turns out as good as our last Swansea signing, we will have done well.

[dasnutnock3]

I'm having an extremely tough time stopping myself from calling him "Wally".

[pablo jaye]

Nice that he has the old crest covering up the new one!!

[Georgee Paris]

I hope he can settle in okay. The pressure on him must be unreal compared to other players. Not sure I can quantify that logic but in a weird sort of way I feel more protective about him than some other mega bucks signing that only knew about West Ham what they’d been told to read out on the press release.

[HammerMan2004]

Pretty rude of him to not have a two-syllable first name or surname. Makes it quite challenging to fit him into the "He's one of our own" songs.

Flynniesta might have to be his official name.

[61dicksey]

Definitely a dream , It is most boys dream of playing for the club you and your family support.
Good Luck Flynn , don’t think he will need it as he looks excellent prospect.

[Georgee Paris]

Pretty rude of him to not have a two-syllable first name or surname. Makes it quite challenging to fit him into the "He's one of our own" songs.

Flynniesta might have to be his official name.

When you're Downes and troubled
And you need a helping hand
And nothing, oh, nothing is going right
Close your eyes and think of me
And soon I will be there
To brighten up even your darkest night
You just call out my name
And, you know, wherever I am
I'll come running, oh, yeah, baby
To see you again
Winter, spring, summer or fall
All you've got to do is call
And I'll be there, yeah, yeah, yeah
You've got a friend

[Mayday]

I feel a little emotional about this signing. I'm really pleased for him and it is evident that he is over the moon. I'm excited at the prospect of him developing as a player and I have a hunch he will go all the way and we will have a special player on our hands. When he meets the rest of the squad, the gaffer and staff and sets foot on the training pitch for the first time I imagine his legs will be a bit wobbly.

[Boleyn_Hammer]

Just reading an article on the Athletic and it appears he was at the Crystal Palace training ground but then got a call to say West Ham were interested so he left.

How nice not to be on the receiving end for once!

[Georgee Paris]

I heard he was sitting with Simon Jordan when he got the call, he stood up and walked out… Jordan shouted ‘where are you going? This is a massive opportunity!’ And he said ‘no, West Ham are massive’

[Georgee Paris]

…that might not be exactly how it happened…

[prophet:marginal]

No, its true, but you missed that he was also heard to say 'and while you're at it, sort yer away end, you slags'.

[Shy Ted]

No, its true, but you missed that he was also heard to say 'and while you're at it, sort yer away end, you slags'.

[davids cross]

Very nice interview with him.

Looks a good young man.

A young footballer, even an old fogey like me, can invest my feelings in with confidence..... that he won't be an absolute wrong un.

Can see why he would pass his MOT.

[HammerMan2004]

https://theathletic.com/3405620/2022/07 ... -west-ham/

It's very hard not to get excited reading this.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


One moment, Flynn Downes was in Beckenham at Crystal Palace’s training ground, exchanging pleasantries with manager Patrick Vieira and members of his backroom staff. The next, he was hurried off to Rush Green to seal a move to his boyhood club West Ham United.

Palace had tracked Downes’ progress since 2020 and were confident they had got their man. Yet there were delays completing the deal, with Swansea City holding out for a bigger fee. This prompted West Ham to accelerate their interest in the 23-year-old.

David Moyes and his recruitment team identified Downes as a potential addition when they discussed transfer targets earlier this summer. They were drawn to his attributes on the ball as well as the midfielder being a lifelong supporter of the club, and they felt he would be a good replacement for former captain Mark Noble, who retired in May. But with Palace the initial favourites, West Ham were pushed into signing Downes earlier than expected.

Given Moyes’ track record of developing players from the Championship, there is hope that Downes could follow in the footsteps of Aaron Cresswell, Michail Antonio, Jarrod Bowen and Said Benrahma, all of whom joined West Ham from clubs in the second tier of English football. He becomes their third signing of the summer following the arrivals of Nayef Aguerd and Alphonse Areola from Rennes and Paris Saint-Germain respectively.

The east London side will pay an initial £9 million for Downes but the fee could rise to £14 million if several clauses are met. The former England Under-20 international has signed a five-year contract, with the option of a further year, and will wear the No 12 shirt.

“I’m a West Ham fan, so I’m buzzing for Flynn,” former Ipswich Town striker James Norwood, who played alongside Downes for two seasons, tells The Athletic. “Becoming a West Ham player is all he spoke about when we played together at Ipswich. He loves the club and attended games with his family, so this is massive for Flynn.

“We used to banter him and say, ‘One day you’ll be in the Premier League and play for England’. Now he’s going to fulfil one of his dreams and it won’t be long before he achieves the other. I texted him saying, ‘Welcome to the claret and blue’.

“I’ll be asking him for tickets for the season opener against Manchester City. I’ve seen a lot of young kids come through but Flynn has been head and shoulders above the rest. He deserves all his success because it couldn’t happen to a nicer person.”

Downes’ journey to West Ham started at Essex-based junior club Ongar Town. He was there for a year before Steve Leslie, an Ipswich scout, gave his father, Micky, a card inviting him for a trial. The then seven-year-old and his father made the hour-long drive from their family home in Brentwood and impressed the coaches. Given his talent, Downes trained with players two years above his age group.

“Flynn was an absolute dream to have,” says former Ipswich Under-18s coach Alan Lee. “He’s just so dedicated. He was always out in the morning doing extras. He was always out staying late. Being a professional footballer matters so much to him.

“I remember we were away for two weeks for a tournament in Holland and it went really well. He was fantastic and after we won, we were on our way home and it was the vibe of, ‘We’re going to have some fun boys, have a McDonald’s, let me buy you all a bacon sandwich at the airport’. But Flynn wouldn’t have it. He wanted scrambled eggs on toast. You go, ‘Come on, Flynn’ but he wouldn’t do it. I never had that discipline. That always stands out for me.”

Downes made his first-team debut for Ipswich in 2017 under Mick McCarthy. It was huge vindication for the midfielder considering the setbacks he had endured beforehand.

“He was always overlooked by the under-23s,” says Lee. “There were midfielders who played for England and he was always down the pecking order. He just kept his head down. He didn’t have it all his own way, which I think is probably a good experience for him. He grew and got stronger in his second year, and then, every game, he just absolutely stood out.

“He is the perfect athlete now for football: he’s tall, strong, wiry, quick and exceptionally fit. He fits the profile of what you probably see in top midfielders in the Premier League.

“He’s probably lacking a bit of arrogance. He could be a top Premier League midfielder and I question sometimes if he believes in himself because I think he can play for England.”

In 2017-18, Downes played 10 league games under McCarthy before joining Luton Town on loan in January 2018 for the remainder of the season. The midfielder, who made seven starts and three substitute appearances, helped Luton win promotion from League Two while also winning Ipswich’s young player of the year award.

“He was only with us for a short time but we could see he was a good player,” says Paul Hart, Luton’s academy director. “Flynn was a joy to work with and I think the experience helped him. I’ve always applauded West Ham for what they’ve done with youth development. They have a good track record in signing players from the Championship. I think they’ve found another gem in Flynn.”

Downes became Ipswich’s youngest-ever captain when he wore the armband in an FA Cup second-round tie against Coventry City on December 2019, aged 20 years and 11 months. Cardiff City assistant manager Terry Connor worked alongside McCarthy at Ipswich from 2012 to 2018 and Downes’ progress has not come as a surprise.

“When we played against Swansea City last season, Flynn looked an accomplished player and had matured a lot from when I last worked with him,” he says. “He showed all the qualities I thought he could show when he was coming through. Flynn is going to develop even further.

“Nearly five years have passed since I worked with him. I’ve seen loads of kids who have struggled or gone on to do well but when we saw Flynn train and play for the first team, we saw great qualities in him as a midfield player. He’s a very determined young man, so I had no doubt he would succeed.

“He can drive a team forward and has tremendous leadership qualities. West Ham have a player who is nowhere near his prime. The best is yet to come.”

As he developed at Ipswich, it was not long before Downes started to attract interest. In September 2020, the club’s owner Marcus Evans rejected two bids from a Premier League club for the midfielder. Downes handed in a transfer request to force a move through. Although Ipswich were reluctant to sell, former team-mate and Wigan Athletic striker Will Keane believes the experience made Downes more endearing.

“When I played with him I always sensed he was destined to play at a higher level,” says Keane. “He was a combative midfielder at Ipswich but he developed technically at Swansea. Flynn has a bit of everything to his game.

“The first five months we played together, Ipswich were in the Championship and Flynn was one of our standout performers. When clubs started to show interest, Flynn didn’t get carried away. He trained as if he was on trial and had to earn a contract. It made him work even harder, which tells you everything you need to know about his character.”

Downes scored three goals in 99 appearances for Ipswich before joining Swansea in 2021 for a fee in the region of £1.5 million and thrived under manager Russell Martin. According to Opta, of all midfielders in the Championship to have attempted more than 500 passes last season, Downes ranked first for passing accuracy.

Looking at players that played more than 1000 minutes, he ranked second for passes per 90 (77.3) and successful passes per 90 (71.5). Only former team-mate Matt Grimes ranked higher with 98.5 and 88.7 for both categories. Downes made 39 appearances in all competitions for Swansea, scoring once. He is not known for being a goalscoring midfielder but his passing ability compensates for that.

“Flynn can play as a six or an eight,” says Colchester midfielder Alan Judge, another ex-Ipswich colleague. “I like him more as a sitter. I wouldn’t worry about the number of goals he’ll score if I was a West Ham fan. He’ll be the one initiating the attack. His main strengths are recovering possession, interceptions and his athleticism. He gets up and down the pitch so well.

“We played Tranmere (in July 2020). He brought up the play, we steamed down the left and Flynn ran through the middle, and scored a brilliant header. I couldn’t believe it.

“West Ham have a diamond and if they keep hold of Declan Rice — what a midfield partnership that could be. I played with Declan in the three games he played for the Republic of Ireland and he was unbelievable. I have a similar feeling about Flynn’s potential.

“I don’t think he’ll have any issues adjusting to the Premier League. What impressed me most is how strong he is on the ball. I tip him to get even better. He will learn so much under Moyes and Mark Warburton.”

West Ham’s central-midfield options are Downes, Rice, Tomas Soucek and Conor Coventry. Norwood believes Downes can have an immediate impact.

“When I first saw him play, I thought, ‘I can’t believe this kid is 20’,” Judge says. “In his first training session, I remember thinking, ‘This kid doesn’t stop running’. We did a bleep test and he won that comfortably. His strength and composure on the ball is one of his many strengths.

“After I’d seen him play a couple of times, I thought, ‘I need to do some research on this kid’, so I watched a YouTube video of his best moments at Ipswich. I also watched Michael Jordan’s documentary on Netflix and it made me think of Flynn. He has that mentality where he has to win and no one can beat him. Flynn loves a tackle. He has the full package.

“I can see him having a similar career to Noble and never wanting to leave the club. Flynn playing alongside Declan Rice is an exciting partnership. It has the potential to be one of the best midfield duos in the Premier League. West Ham have shown they can develop homegrown players and I could see Flynn staying there for the rest of his career.”

[Aztec Hammer]

The exciting thing about this signing is that we now have someone else who can go and take the ball from the keeper or defenders and carry/pass us into the midfield and beyond.

This will allow Declan to not have to do that as much, and instead mean that he can be one who receives the pass from Downes instead of being the one always having to make it. Rice playing further forward more often is huge for us. And I was getting proper bored with him being scolded for doing so because of what it meant for Soucek.

Now we have three midfielders who in most combinations and formats should be able to compliment each other and do all the things they are capable of doing rather than have to worry about what it means for the limitations of the other.