While Nuno Espirito Santo does not appear to have figured out his most effective XI at West Ham United yet, at least the goalkeeping hierarchy is pretty clear these days with Alphonse Areola ahead of Mads Hermansen in the pecking order.
Nuno insists that Hermansen will get his chance somewhere down the line.
For now, though, the experienced Frenchman has firmly re-established himself as West Ham United’s number one. And, in truth, Alphonse Areola has done little since returning to the team to suggest that the club’s £18 million summer signing really is the upgrade he was supposed to be.
Nuno credited Areola with saving a point at Everton on his first match in charge. The ex-PSG and Real Madrid keeper was West Ham’s stand-out performer against Brentford on Monday night too, albeit there wasn’t much competition.
A goalkeeper who left the London Stadium in the summer of 2024, meanwhile, continues to go from strength to strength. Nathan Trott joined Danish giants Copenhagen once it became apparent that he would not be afforded the chance to take Areola’s place between the sticks.
And while he admits that his season in Scandinavia did not pan out the way he would have liked, the now Cardiff City glovesman would still make the same decision again.
Nathan Trott reflects on West Ham United exit after winning Danish double at Copenhagen
Nathan Trott made a ‘sensational’ start at Cardiff after joining the League One promotion-favourites on loan in June.
It took until matchday six for the Bermuda-born 26-year-old to concede a goal in a Bluebirds jersey.
But, while Trott won the Danish league and cup double at Copenhagen, he spent much of the business end of last season watching on from the sidelines. Diant Ramaj ousted him from the team sheet. Head coach Jacob Neestrup even went public with his decision to drop Trott when the title was on the line, following a couple of untimely errors.
This has not soured his memories, though, or stirred up any feelings of regret.
“No, not at all,” Trott said when asked if he regrets leaving West Ham for Copenhagen, speaking to Tipsbladet. “I’m glad I went there. It’s the biggest club in Scandinavia, and I’m glad for the relationships I’ve built with my teammates, because they’ve helped me through the difficult periods of the season.
“I had a really good start in the first few months but, personally, [it was] a tough time. I made some mistakes that probably cost some points, and subsequently I was dropped.
“Something like this can happen in football, so I will never regret moving to FC Copenhagen, even though the season was tough. I have a lot of good memories from there, including that we won the double, and it took a lot of hard work to get there.
“The second half of the season was very volatile and it’s hard to play to your best when you’re coming in and out of the team and things are changing all the time. There were also some things off the pitch that didn’t make things better, so it was a tough time.
“But I really enjoyed the club, the fans and especially my teammates, who helped me a lot.”
Trott is now shining at at Cardiff City after falling out of favour
Trott played only three times in Copenhagen’s final 18 matches in the league and the championship play-offs. The fact they only lost three of those, he admits, does add some justification to Neestrup’s decision to replace him with the aforementioned Ramaj.
“They said that very clearly in public, and it wasn’t nice,” Trott adds. “The way they handled it off the field wasn’t the best way. Not that I was hurt, but it just made me realise how they saw me.
“They did what they thought was best to get the club to win trophies, so I don’t take it too personally. But I don’t agree with the way they handled it.”
Finlay Herrick thrives as Linus Kandolin talks up West Ham starlet
Trott made only one first-team appearance in nine years at West Ham. That came in a 4-0 FA Cup thrashing of Doncaster Rovers. In contrast, he has played 43 matches in the 16 months since the Hammers accepted a £1.5 million bid from Copenhagen.
Teenager Finlay Herrick now finds himself in the position Trott was in a few years back in East London. A talented young glovesman desperate to make his mark in the senior game, but with a senior role still a long way off.
Former goalkeeping coach Linus Kandolin feels West Ham have an ‘unbelievable’ talent in Herrick. Though whether his potential translates into opportunities, only time will tell.
“He’s unbelievably good on the ball,” Kandolin tells Goalkeeper.com of a 19-year-old now thriving on loan at Boreham Wood in the National League.
“But he needs to challenge himself by commanding his area and defending the box.”
