Former West Ham Midfielder Claims He Recommended Portugal Star to Club 18 Months Ago

Former Liverpool and West Ham midfielder Don Hutchison has claimed on Twitter that he advised the Hammers to sign Sporting CP winger Gelson Martins 18 months ago.

Hutchison played well over 400 games in his career, with most of those coming in the Premier League, and has been capped by Scotland on 26 occasions. It's fair to suggest that his judgement on players is worth considering.

Martins, a 22-year-old Portugal international, is now on fine form for Sporting and was linked with a move to Liverpool back in January.

It now seems unlikely that West Ham could attract Martins if they were to make a move in the summer. However, they may be wise not to ignore Hutchison's recommendations again in the future.

"Another player I told West Ham about 18 months ago," Hutchison wrote on Twitter. "This kid will go right to the very top!!!!!!"

He's not wrong, either. Martins has scored 12 goals and set up a further 11 in his 43 appearances for Sporting Lisbon so far this season, an impressive record for such a young player. Barring Manuel Lanzini and Marko Arnautovic, West Ham have lacked attacking flair in the past couple of seasons, something which could have been improved by the arrival of Martins.

The youngster likes to play short, intricate passes to unlock an opponent's defence, but he's equally comfortable taking on his full back with his strong dribbling ability. He knows when to hold on to the ball and when to release it, showing maturity above his age in a good league.