West Ham academy graduate Blair Turgott looked destined for big things when he helped England U17s to the quarter-finals of the World Cup in 2011 but, by his own admission, he never lived up to expectations with the Hammers.
How did Turgott fare at West Ham?
The winger would feature alongside the likes of Raheem Sterling and Jordan Pickford in that England side, both of whom are now well-established Premier League and international players, but things didn't work out for Turgott in the same way.
Having progressed through the Hammers' academy, the wide man would be limited to just one senior appearance in his time with the east London outfit, enduring a number of disappointing loan spells away from the club in League One and League Two.
After his performances at that 2011 World Cup, Turgott had full belief that he could push on and become a regular in West Ham's first team, but sadly that would never materialise.
He told Sky Sports: "When I came back from the World Cup I thought I'd get an opportunity and be with the first team at West Ham and then I would have pushed on from there and the rest would be history. Onwards and upwards. That's the fairytale you put in your head.
"There was definitely a lot of pressure. You almost make a rod for your own back when you have such high standards and do so well. People always expected you to do more. If there was a game, and we weren't at the races, I'd be the one people looked at to be the catalyst or the spark to get something going.
"Ultimately I'd say I've underachieved. For me to be where I am now in my career. Definitely, the way I treated myself growing up through the years and when I got to 17, 18, 19 I didn't see why I couldn't play in the Premier League."
Where is Blair Turgott now?
After leaving the Hammers in 2015, Turgott would struggle to settle, spending no more than two seasons with any of the English clubs he signed for, before finally finding his feet in non-league with Maidstone United.
The Jamaica international would hit 14 goals in the 2018/19 National League season and earned an offer from Ostersunds FK in Sweden, where he enjoyed the best spell of his career, hitting 21 goals and five assists in 73 appearances.
After their relegation, he moved to BK Hacken, but he has struggled to replicate that form with his new side, boasting just two goals and five assists in 24 appearances.
Therefore, it seems clear that West Ham made the right decision in releasing Turgott back in 2015, as the now 28-year-old's performances since suggest that he never would have made it as a regular in the Premier League.
