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Geil, das wird eine Granate, ich spürs ;)... Willkommen Flex, eine Hymne für ihn gibt es schon:

Valderrama hat geschrieben:Welcome Flex! Brauche sein Trikot!

Hier noch seine letztjährige Leidensgeschichte:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/theathleti ... r/%3famp=1

Bin gespannt auf ihn. Eine weitere Wundertüte im Kader. Hat übrigens gleich viele Tore gemacht in der PL2 wie Nketiah von Arsenal ein paar Jahre zuvor. ;)

Bei mir kommt eine Paywall, war aber genug schnell beim Kopieren. ;-)




Armstrong Okoflex on leaving West Ham: ‘I have a point to prove and a chip on my shoulder’

By Roshane Thomas
Jul 5, 2023

“It was a weird feeling when I went back, it almost felt like West Ham didn’t want me to be there and it hurt me a bit. I just wanted to replicate what I did in my first season.”

Armstrong Okoflex is reflecting on the moment he returned to West Ham following his loan spell at Swansea City. Last summer, the 21-year-old joined the Championship side on a season-long loan, but it was cut short in January when the winger was recalled.

Okoflex could then not go back out on loan because having made his West Ham debut in August’s UEFA Europa Conference League play-off round victory over Viborg FF, the winger had already played for two teams in 2022-23, with FIFA rules stipulating he couldn’t represent a third.

“When I came back, they had other players they were focusing on,” he says. “I understood it, but it was just a weird experience. It reached a point where I wasn’t even playing for the under-23s. I just kept thinking, ‘What’s going on? I’ve just come back from loan and they don’t really want me to be here. Plus, I can’t go out on loan again. It was frustrating’.”

We meet at a house in north London and Okoflex is watching one of his games from his spell at Swansea. The Republic of Ireland Under-21 international joined West Ham in the summer of 2021 from Celtic but was released in May. During the second half of last season, Okoflex only played eight of the under-23s’ 13 games under manager Mark Robson.

“When I was told I was being released, I saw it coming with the way they were treating me,” says Okoflex. “It wasn’t ideal with them telling me so late. If they told me months in advance, I would have had loads of time to prepare to look for a new club. I don’t use social media that much, but my close friends sent me screenshots of fans wishing me well for the future. That means a lot to me and it was good to know the fans still care about me.

“Right now, my mindset is that I have a point to prove. I have a chip on my shoulder again. I know what I need to do and no matter how bad a situation ends up being, you always learn something from it. I’m ready for the next chapter in my career. I know wherever I go it will be the best version of myself.”

Okoflex has received four offers from League One teams, two from Championship sides and a host of European clubs. He began his career in the academy at St Kevin’s Boys Club, then moved to London as an 11-year-old after being recommended to Arsenal by former Gunners, West Ham and Republic of Ireland midfielder Liam Brady.

In an interview with The Athletic, Okoflex’s father, Reginald, spoke about how he impressed as a youngster. Okoflex played for Arsenal between the ages of 11 and 16. He was offered a scholarship by them in 2018 but rejected the deal in favour of joining Celtic.

But his three years in Glasgow saw only two senior appearances — coming back-to-back off the bench against Hibernian and Livingston for a total of 39 minutes. In his debut season with West Ham, he started the first team’s pre-season friendlies against Leyton Orient and Reading, then scored against his former club at Celtic Park in his third appearance.

Okoflex ended the 2021-22 season as West Ham’s under-23s’ top scorer with 18 goals and he is grateful for the support he received from former under-23s manager Dmitri Halajko, now director of football at Colchester United.

“I was on trial with the under-23s for about a week or two, it wasn’t long and Dmitri was a big factor behind me signing so quickly,” says Okoflex. “I loved my first year and Dmitri had a lot of belief in me. I ended the season as the top scorer and the way we played suited me. It didn’t work out for me at Celtic, so I came in raring to go. He knew the type of player I was and that I was good inside the box. He’s the reason I started training with the first team. That all came about through Dmitri pushing me.

“But Dmitri left the following season and I was mainly with the under-23s. The first game of the season I scored a hat-trick against Arsenal. David Moyes, Stuart Pearce and Lukasz Fabianski were there, so I wanted to show them I was good enough. Then, around December, I was on the bench for the league game against Arsenal. I was doing well for the under-23s but I wasn’t eligible to play in the Europa League (having not been named in the club’s European squad), so it was a case of me waiting patiently for my chance. I was pushing and the club said I would get a chance, which is why I didn’t go out on loan that January. But, unfortunately, it didn’t pan out the way I wanted it to.”

Okoflex joined Swansea City on loan in August. The attacker had been tracked by then-manager Russell Martin for 18 months before his arrival, initially appearing on Martin’s radar when he was manager of MK Dons.

When Flynn Downes joined West Ham from Swansea, there was a discussion about potential loans in the opposite direction. Okoflex was considered the best option and Downes helped convince him to make the move. The winger made 13 appearances for the Championship side. Although he received limited game time, Okoflex considers his brief spell in South Wales a valuable experience that will prepare him for the next chapter of his career.

“It was a real eye-opener about how to eat and how to keep my mind occupied,” he says. “Working under Russell Martin was good because I learnt a lot under him. He went out of his way to talk me through what I needed to improve; we would go through video clips of the defensive side of my game and I’ve taken all of that on board. This summer I’ve been working on all aspects of my game and following up the things I did with Russell Martin. He was a massive help for me.

“I also learnt a lot about myself. Setbacks used to faze me but not anymore. I really love football and there were times when it used to really affect me. I would struggle to sleep or eat if I had a bad game, poor training session or if I wasn’t picked. But I’ve matured a lot and I know how to handle things differently. I’m an attacking player, I want to get fans excited and get them off their seats. Ronaldinho, Ronaldo and Jay-Jay Okocha were my idols growing up. I want to play with freedom like them and enjoy football.

“No matter what league I’ll be in, that’s how I like to play. I feel like I’m in good shape, a good mindset and I know what I’m capable of. Now it’s my time to shine.”