Football
9y

Sam Allardyce hails Diafra Sakho's class and elite Prem potential

West Ham striker Diafra Sakho can one day join the Premier League elite, according to manager Sam Allardyce, who compared him to the likes of Michael Owen and Nicolas Anelka.

The 24-year-old moved to Upton Park from Metz in the summer, arriving under the radar as the club paid much more for fellow forward Enner Valencia -- and had club-record signing Andy Carroll working his way back to fitness.

But Sakho hit the ground running and has already notched seven Premier League goals in nine appearances, helping the Hammers reach the top four of the Premier League table 15 games into the season.

Allardyce, who takes his side to Sunderland on Saturday, believes the Senegal international has the potential to develop into a great striker.

He used Anelka and Owen, both of whom have scored over 100 Premier League goals and are forwards Allardyce worked with at Bolton and Newcastle respectively, as the yardstick for how good Sakho can be.

"I think Nicolas Anelka, Michael Owen and Mark Viduka," Allardyce replied when asked if he had managed anyone as clinical in front of goal.

"He will be (as good as them), eventually. I think the way he is going at the moment he will get there. He is learning all the time.

"He is a terrific lad with a great attitude and he has the desire to be successful as a footballer and a goalscorer."

Sakho hit 20 goals for Metz last season to guide the club to promotion from Ligue 2 and Allardyce feels he has brought in a player who offers something different to the other strikers at his disposal.

"All we are doing is getting him to play to his strengths and tell the other players to play to his strengths," he said.

"I think his biggest strength he has got is his finishing ability, no doubt about that. It is using the spaces in behind the opposition defences where he can really hurt them.

"It is our players having the capability to play the balls into those areas to get him in where he can hurt the opposition and they fear him the most.

"He is great in terms of that type of player. We haven't got that type. We have more 'to feet' players but his major strength is running in behind defenders."

Sakho scored the last goal in the 3-1 win over Swansea last weekend after being fed by two goal from Carroll.

The pair linked up well after Sakho's introduction at half-time but Allardyce is happy to give any combination the chance to stake a claim.

"Sakho and Valencia together were awesome when we played Man City and Liverpool," he said.

"They have a good combination already so Andy has got to maintain a level of performance that says 'I have got to stay in (the side) because all the lads are eager to take my spot'."

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