West Ham striker commits himself to the club for next season

Hammers striker wants to help the club gain promotion back to the Premier League

West Ham striker Freddie Sears has committed himself to the club for next season despite their relegation.

Championship-bound Hammers are set to lose the likes of Matthew Upson, Robert Green and Scott Parker over the summer, but it looks likes academy graduate Sears (pictured right) is set to stay at Upton Park.

“Yeah I want to stay, I’ve expressed to stay. I want to stay and get a couple of games next season. You don’t know what’s round the corner,” he told the Advertiser.

“Definitely as a West Ham fan I want to play for the club. Relegation might give me a better opportunity to play for the club I want to play for week in week out. There is probably more of an opportunity in the Championship than the Premiership.

“It could go one of two ways, I could play every game of the season or the new manager could come in and bring in new players. But hopefully we can keep some of the young boys and have a real go next year.”

Sears has faith that he and his fellow graduates can step up next year and push the Hammers back into the Premier League at the first attempt and admitted they will have to do so without some of their better-known players.

“We should try and keep as many players as we can, but its going to be hard,” he said.

“The more senior players will probably move on to be honest, but hopefully we can keep a good core of players and have a real go next season.

“You look at the boys they have brought through over the years. Tony Carr has done a great job and he is still bringing through the boys and when they make the step up it’s not hard.

“They are ready, they’ve had two years in the academy and a scholarship with Tony Carr.

“It makes you more hungry coming through the academy to get on the pitch and do well.”