West Ham United youngster Ollie Scarles was handed his Premier League debut by Julen Lopetegui back in December.
Ollie Scarles has gone from strength to strength since then for West Ham, and the fact that Julen Lopetegui gave him his debut was one of the few positive things the Spaniard did at the London Stadium.
Moving on Lopetegui was 100% the right call from the Hammers owners, and the 58-year-old has since shared how he was sacked via a phone-call.
Lopetegui oversaw a disastrous Premier League campaign for West Ham, and fell out with numerous players behind the scenes, including a set-to with Jean-Clair Todibo.
West Ham are on the right path again now with Graham Potter at the helm.
Thankfully, Lopetegui, and his disastrous tenure, is well and truly in the past now.
However, we do have one thing to thank the Spaniard for.
What Ollie Scarles said in a text to Julen Lopetegui after sacking
The 19-year-old Hammers starlet is clearly ready to make the step up to the next level.
He was sensational for West Ham against Arsenal, and club captain Jarrod Bowen lauded him after the game.
What we are seeing from Scarles now is incredibly exciting, and Lopetegui is undoubtedly partly responsible for that.
According to The Athletic, Scarles texted Lopetegui after the Spaniard lost his job last month, and thanked him for giving him his Premier League debut.
In all fairness, we as West Ham fans should be thanking Lopetegui for that as well.
Had Scarles not been given the platform to show his true qualities by the Spaniard back in December, who knows where he would be now?
Don’t get me wrong, he’s clearly always been a huge talent, but making that breakthrough at the very highest level is never an easy thing to do.
What Graham Potter said about Scarles performance vs Arsenal
Potter absolutely raved about the talented teen after Saturday’s win over the Gunners.
The Hammers head coach praised Scarles to the hilt, and lauded him for his quality on the pitch as well as his personality off of it:
“He trains hard every day, but he’s a great person as well. He’s fully committed, loves the Club, loves the team, and he wants to play for West Ham.
“He’s got a lot going for him, and really his personality is really impressive. It’s a huge thank you to the Academy really, because they’ve helped us by developing a top player!“
Ollie Scarles is clearly a very well-rounded character, and the fact that he sent a message of thanks to Julen Lopetegui just after he was sacked from West Ham proves how mature he is.
This kid will go right to the very top!
