From trialist to permanent?

Colin Kazim-Richards is currently on trial with the Hammers and it looks as if Sam Allarydce is giving him some real thought, as he has been invited to Germany to join the club’s tour, which will see them play Rot Weiss Erfurt on Wednesday.

Kazim-Richards appeared in the 2-1 defeat to Colchester United on the 21^st of July and impressed many Hammers fans and the backroom staff at Upton Park. The former Sheffield United player looked sharp playing on the right-hand side, beating players and cutting inside being his speciality. Something which the Hammers haven’t seen in a long time is a true winger, the last to bless Upton Park being Matty Etherington. Kazim Richards has showed that he could fill the void out on the right-hand side of the pitch, however he is a versatile player that can also operate more centrally, so perhaps he could be an option to partner another striker.

Modern day wingers are no longer players who play on the side of their favourite foot and head straight for the by-line and cross the ball in, but often now they play on the other side and cut in onto their favoured foot. We saw it last season to an extent with Ricardo Vaz Te playing on the left hand side and Kazim Richards could offer a great outlet on the either the left or right hand side. Although mainly a winger, Kazim Richards has the creativity to roam more centrally and find space between the defence and midfield.

All looks promising; a creative wide player with blistering pace is just what the Hammers need. However, Kazim Richards has a bit of a reputation for being bad boy. When at Fenerbahçe, he was sent off and banned for 4 matches for swearing at the ref, and then while serving his ban, on the same night that his team lost to Kasimpasa, he was out on the town. It all got slightly messy after this, with Kazim Richards crashing his car when late for training and being accused of drunk driving. Is this the sort of player that we want at West Ham?

I have to say however, since the end of 2009 when Kazim Richards was alleged to be involved in a sex scandal, he seems to have cleaned up his act. Whether a leopard can change his spots though is another matter.

Kazim Richards’ goal scoring record isn’t great and his history in English football doesn’t fill you with confidence. However, he has played in the Champions League and is a key part of the Turkish National team. It seems as if Kazim Richards could be another sporadic Hammers player or he could be an inspirational acquisition, considering that he is only 25 and on a free transfer.

Do you think Kazim Richards would be a good signing? Does his bad boy reputation lead you to worry about the impact he would have on the squad? Could he fill the void on the right-hand side? Tweet me @TollyCoburn