Ryan Fredericks was West Ham United’s first signing of the Manuel Pellegrini era. Despite being a crucial part of their newly-promoted London rivals Fulham, the player was quick to sign the dotted lines with the Hammers.
The 25-year-old defender enjoyed a great season for Fulham in the Championship. He played a key role as the club secured a promotion to the English top-flight.
Having come through the youth system of Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham will be Fredericks’ third London-based club. In this article, we will highlight 3 reasons as to why Ryan is set to take the Premier League by storm.
Exceptional pace
Fredericks is a speedster in the true sense of the word. The former Fulham man boasts of frightening pace that often comes in handy during his marauding runs to aid the attack. A right-back by trade, speed is clearly Fredericks’ strongest attribute.
His quick feet can prove to be a blessing in counter-attacking situations and it goes without saying that Fredericks could help Pellegrini revamp West Ham next term.
While attacking, Ryan seems to have a penchant for beating opponents with his pace, before putting in a cross in the box. His pace and power with the ball will definitely come across as a welcome change for West Ham.
Fabulous season with Fulham
Fredericks was included in the PFA Championship Team of The Season and that speaks volumes of the kind of influence he had at Craven Cottage. The ever-present player provided 7 crucial assists to help his teammates and now, it will be interesting to see how he fares in the Premier League.
Despite being a defender, Fredericks was the second-best at providing assists at Fulham last season. And that is a true testament to the kind of influence he exerts on the field.
Only 3 players from Fulham were included in the PFA Championship Team of The Season and the Hammers will be happy to have secured one of them.
Dribbling and passing abilities
Fredericks is a great dribbler of the ball. Over the course of the last season in the Championship, he completed 65 take-ons which were the highest for a defender. The right-back is also quite good with passing and supplying key passes for his teammates to convert.
He averages an impressive 1.1 key passes per 90 minutes and that is great for a player who spends most of his time defending.
In an attacking setup under Pellegrini, Fredericks could really burst onto the Premier League scene.
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