Ferdinand urges West Ham coach to hand a chance to Alese in Premier League

West Ham hero Anton Ferdinand has urged manager David Moyes to give minutes to Ajibola Alese and other outstanding academy players in the club's final four Premier League games.

The Hammers have a crisis at the central defensive position ahead of Sunday's London derby against Arsenal, with Issa Diop and Angelo Ogbonna sidelined by injuries, while Craig Dawson is serving a one-match suspension after he was red carded in their last top-flight game against Chelsea.

Alese has been on the periphery of the first team this season, making the matchday squads on 22 occasions, including ten in the Premier League, but tasted action just once against Dinamo Zagreb in a dead rubber Europa League clash back in December. 

The England youth international of Nigerian descent is one of the key players behind West Ham being guaranteed finishing second in the Premier League 2 this season.

On Alese, Ferdinand told The Sun : "Being a West Ham fan and someone who came through the ranks as a player, I'd like to see a manager put faith in him.

"Will it be hard for him? 100 per cent it will.

"But one thing you do have in West Ham fans is; when it's somebody who comes through the ranks, they get their full backing and I know that first hand myself."

Alese has played twice for West Ham's first team and got a taste of senior football during loan spells at Accrington Stanley and Cambridge United.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel