What Kurt Zouma Can Provide West Ham’s Defense

Kurt Zouma, now 26, has battled through adversity. A product of Saint-Etienne’s impressive academy programme, the Lyon-born centre-back arrived on France’s biggest stage a decade ago, making his debut for Les Verts while still a schoolboy. 

During his time with the Ligue 1 outfit, Zouma amassed 3,024 top-flight minutes and quickly made a name for himself as an aerially dominant defenceman. And by the end of his second season in the professional ranks, it was clear that Zouma would soon part ways with his childhood club. 

Six months later, Chelsea swooped, signing Zouma for £12 million in a deal that saw the then-French youth international stay in his homeland for the remainder of the 2013/14 season. At the time, it was a case of so far, so good for the teenager regarded as France’s next defensive star. 

Zouma later made a positive impression during his first season in West London, playing a starring role in the Capital One Cup final as Chelsea knocked off Tottenham 2-0 at Wembley Stadium. Most impressively of all, the Frenchman was deployed out of position against Spurs, guarding Gary Cahill and John Terry from central midfield. However, disaster would soon strike.