'Cheikhou Jackson' wants Hammers to beat it

Snappy dresser Cheikhou ‘Jackson’ Kouyate wants West Ham United to ‘Beat It’ when they face West Bromwich Albion on Sunday
Snappy dresser ‘Cheikhou Jackson’ Kouyate wants West Ham United to ‘Beat It’ when they face West Bromwich Albion on Sunday.

The midfielder turned heads when he arrived at Chadwell Heath dressed head to toe in a Michael Jackson-eque black outfit this week, topped by a very fetching wide-rimmed fedora hat.

Kouyate’s ‘Bad’ appearance led to him being given the nickname ‘Cheikhou Jackson’ by captain Mark Noble, while teammates lined up to take selfies with West Ham’s very own ‘Man in the Mirror’.

“It’s true everybody was very funny as they all seemed to like my clothes!” he laughed “I came in and Mark Noble saw me and he immediately called me ‘Cheikhou Jackson’ and I like it.

“I like my clothes and this is the new look. Sometimes, you have to change your look!”

Kouyate is also keen that West Ham change their results, with the team currently on a run of three Barclays Premier League matches without a win.

The No8 gave everything at White Hart Lane last weekend, hitting the crossbar with a fantastic scissor-kick, but still ended up on the end of bad a 4-1 defeat by Tottenham Hotspur.

He is anxious not to suffer the same disappointment when the Hammers host West Bromwich Albion on Sunday – a game which promises to be a ‘Thriller’ at the Boleyn Ground.

“Last week was a bad week,” he admitted. “We just have to forget this game, all the players and supporters, and look forward to the West Bromwich game.

“West Ham need the victory and need the points and we will go into battle to earn the three points.

“This is not an easy game. This is a very difficult team to play against, but we’ve been working hard this week and have good preparation for this game.

Looking further forward, Kouyate is preparing for his second festive season in English football.

As a practising Muslim, the midfielder does not celebrate Christmas himself, but he knows how important this time of year is for football.

“I like Christmas but I don’t celebrate it myself so there is no party for me!” he explained. “But I have a lot of friends who will celebrate so it is a nice time for them and I hope we can get some good results for them.”