David Moyes has revealed he is considering handing Patrice Evra his West Ham debut in Saturday’s home game against Huddersfield.
The Hammers signed Evra on a free transfer on Thursday but the 36-year-old has not played since his Marseille contract was terminated at the start of November.
Evra, 36, worked on his fitness in the Middle East over the Christmas and Moyes has hinted he could feature in some capacity against Huddersfield despite the fact is short of match fitness.
“I’ve known Pat, I’ve worked with him at Manchester United and I know what he is capable of,” Moyes wrote in his column for the London Evening Standard. “Yes, he’s 36 years old and hasn’t played since November but he has been training regular and hard since he left Marseille - he has been out in Dubai with his fitness coach for the past month so he’s in good condition.
“He has trained with the first team for the past couple of days and done well but there’s a big difference between training and playing a match and, to be fair, the training we do at this time of the year isn’t at a massive level of intensity because we’re trying to save the players’ energy for the games.
“From what I’ve seen over the past day or two, I would have to say he’s not far away from playing. I’m not sure whether I would throw him in straight away but it’s something I am considering."
West Ham’s decision to sign Evra has raised further questions about the club’s recruitment policy, as it was only in December when co-chairman David Sullivan insisted they would not look to sign aging players anymore.
The Hammers are also well-stocked at left-back with Sam Byram and Aaron Cresswell able to cover for the suspended Arthur Masuaku. There is also the fact that Moyes and Evra did not share the greatest of relationships during the Scots loan season in charge of Manchester United.
However, Moyes has taken the gamble on Evra for his leadership qualities and presence in the dressing room. In the last four Premier League campaigns, only Crystal Palace (36) have committed more errors that have led to an opposition goal than West Ham (34).
