You honestly couldn’t make this stuff up, but the world of West Ham has just become even more bizarre—if that were possible.
Since signing for the Hammers from Borussia Dortmund for £27m in the summer, Niclas Füllkrug has been spotted fewer times than the Loch Ness Monster. In fact, with some of West Ham’s football looking suspiciously Jurassic this season, there’s probably a better chance of seeing old Nessie at the London Stadium than the German striker.
Anyway, yesterday saw the announcement of West Ham’s official team photograph, when all of the club’s teams are wheeled out to say “cheese” and have their picture taken. It’s a scene everyone is familiar with: the short players at the front and the big lads in the back row. Except, on this occasion, something wasn’t quite right.
Niclas Füllkrug did appear to be present at first glance, but closer inspection suggests he had been edited into the photo. Füllkrug was also absent from the club-produced video showing the players preparing for their pictures.
And if things weren’t ridiculous enough, it’s now being suggested that big West Ham fan and former Apprentice star Tom Skinner stood in as a body double for the absent German. I’ll admit, I’ve no idea if this rumour is true, and I’m not entirely sure I believe it anyway. What is clear, however, is that Füllkrug did not attend.
Bosh! Can this fella play up front?
Of course, missing the team photo isn’t the biggest problem in the world. Neither is the idea of the Boshmeister Skinner filling in—it’s actually a good laugh. However, when you factor in that the perennially injured striker hasn’t started a Premier League game for the Hammers, has no set return date, and keeps returning to Germany to appear on game shows and podcasts, it’s not a good look
