Slaven Bilic: Sam Byram signing proves West Ham are moving in the right direction

Delighted: Sam Byram signed for West Ham after competition from EVerton this week
(Daniel Smith/Getty Images)
Slaven Bilic22 January 2016

We are delighted that Sam Byram decided to join us from Leeds this week.

At 22, Sam has a great deal of potential. He’s home grown, young, he’s been playing regularly in the Championship and making a difference there, and is playing in a position — full-back — where we need players.

A few clubs were interested in him and we’re pleased that he has signed for us. It proves players from other teams are recognising that West Ham are going in the right direction.

Sam seems a confident lad and is a good player. Of course, at his age, he has room to improve every aspect of his game. He has that potential and is showing his quality by playing for Leeds in more than one position.

David Sullivan said this week that we are looking at taking a striker on loan and we hope that can happen before the transfer window closes.

On the injury front, we hope to have Andy Carroll and Diafra Sakho available when we play Southampton on February 8.

The Davids have been all gold since I arrived

West Ham United co-owners David Sullivan, right, and David Gold as they pose for photographers at Upton Park stadium, London. The deal to award London's Olympic Stadium to West Ham football club after the 2012 Games has collapsed due to mounting concerns about legal challenges over the bidding process, the British government said Tuesday. FILE - This is a Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2010 file photo of the (AP Photo/Tom Hevezi, File)

It is six years since the two Davids — Gold and Sullivan — took control of West Ham United. Apparently they said back then that one of their ambitions was for the club to qualify for the Champions League in the seventh season.

It is good to have ambition. Why not aim high? Everything is possible, especially in this unpredictable season.

Of course, I wasn’t here back then but they have been great to me since I returned to the club.

Every manager, when they come into a job, asks for the ultimate responsibility of, with the help of his staff, searching out the players he wants.

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In some cases he is promised that by the club’s hierarchy at the start, only to find out that it doesn’t always happen.

Here, though, the chairmen have been really good to me in every respect. I believe we as a club are moving forward. I know it hasn’t been easy for them all the time but this is a big club and it is moving forward with giant strides.

It is enjoyable for me to be here.

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