Tony Cottee has said now is the time for Freddie Sears to stake his claim for a first-team place after some impressive form for West Ham United.
The striker turns 19 later this month and Cottee, in an interview with WHUTV, believes Sears has what it takes to deserve a run of games, as long as due consideration is given to the fact he is still learning his trade. "This is the time where he has got to play," said Cottee, himself a homegrown legend in his playing days. "He doesn't want to be sitting on the bench, he wants to play. He's 18 now, not 16. He's chomping at the bit. He had a really good game at Middlesbrough.
"Fair play to Gianfranco, he has got great ideas on how to play. He expects big things, he wants the team to entertain ... but we have got to get the balance right. Provided we are patient and let him work his way through the initial few months as a manager I think in the future he will be successful and in Jack Collison, James Tomkins and Freddie Sears we have got some great young players."
Sears' lively display at the Riverside saw him team up with Craig Bellamy and while some may deem them to be too similar physically and in their play, Cottee reminds that his partnership with Frank McAvennie was also one where neither played the traditional target man role. "It is all about movement, about good players playing together," Cottee explained when defining the secret of a good partnership.
No one will be happier than Cottee if Sears or Bellamy find the way to goal again this weekend - even if it is against his former employers. After ending his first spell at West Ham United, he spent six successful years at Goodison Park but Cottee has "absolutely no split loyalties" these days. He added: "Everton is a wonderful club but I am now back to being a West Ham supporter."