Stop Divin about and sign new deal, Moyes tells Mubama

Moyes says Divin Mubama should stay a Hammer.

David Moyes has urged teenage striker Divin Mubama to sign a new contract and not repeat the “mistakes” of other youngsters who left West Ham.

Mubama, 19, is in the final year of his current deal and has so far turned down a new one.

The east Londoner made his Hammers debut in the Europa Conference League last season and scored his first goal against AEK Larnaca.

He has yet to appear in the Premier League this season, but made a late cameo as a sub in the Europa League win over Olympiacos on Thursday night.

“Divin was offered a contract 12 months ago, but he’s the one not agreeing to sign a contract,” said Hammers boss Moyes. “We really like Divin, he’s an East End boy and a West Ham supporter, a great lad, we love him to bits. I feel the best thing for Divin is to sign a contract at West Ham.”

Harrison Ashby and Sonny Perkins are recent examples of young players who left West Ham to try their luck elsewhere.

Full-back Ashby opted to join Newcastle, but did not make a single appearance and is now on loan at Swansea, while forward Perkins moved to Leeds and is now struggling for game time at Oxford.

“Look around the Premier League and very few 18 or 19-year-olds are playing,” added Moyes. “What’s the average age of getting into the first team now? My feeling is it’s 21.

“A lot of them are getting impatient, but the bigger problem is their agents want to take them away and get games elsewhere. So many are making the wrong decisions.

“There’s a few boys left here who have made incredibly wrong decisions. They’re in a great environment here. There’s a few who left here and made big mistakes.”

Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper wants his side to replicate their performance against Aston Villa when they visit West Ham.

Forest put in an impressive display at the City Ground last weekend to end a six-game winless run and ease the pressure on their manager.

They now take to the road, trying to improve on a record that has seen them win just two of their 25 away games since their return to the top flight.

Cooper knows it will be a tough task, but wants his side to build on the Villa win.

“They are playing in Europe so that tells you the team that they are and the success they have had in recent seasons,” he said.

“You can see with the players they have on the pitch and I have a lot of respect for David Moyes. It’s a tough game, but we have to go into it really honing in on the positives from last week and I think that is going to be the biggest factor in doing well.

“Our focus is what we can bring to the game. “We go into the game knowing if we want it to be a good day it is on us to deliver what we need to do.”