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This of course should have nothing to do with us but with the chances of signing Danny Coyne diminishing every day, a Turf Moor move for the Grimsby stopper looks very unlikely now, Stan could well be looking West Ham way for his new keeper.
Today we have been linked with their second choice keeper Stephen Bywater who despite being in the England Under 21 squad has only played in eleven league games in his career.
The Manchester born keeper, who was 22 this week, started his career with Rochdale and that provides us with a link and could well give us an advantage if we were to try and sign him.
Whilst he was serving his apprenticeship at Spotland he worked under the youth team coach Jimmy Robson who has been back at the Turf since Stan brought him in before the 1998/99 season. Bywater has in the past spoken very highly of Robson.
He never made the first team at Rochdale but that was hardly surprising as he was sold to West Ham when Spiv Harry Redknapp paid £300,000 for him when he was still only 16 years of age.
But with Shaka Hislop and then David James holding down the first team goalkeeping position in recent years he has been unable to make a breakthrough and has started just four games for the club in the Premiership.
He has been out on loan on four occasions but the last two, to Wolves and Cardiff, were as cover only and he didn’t get a game. In previous loan spells he has played two games for Wycombe and four games for Hull.
His last league appearance was though for West Ham and came in a 2-1 Premiership win at Bradford in February 2001.
Despite his lack of first team opportunities he has remained involved with the England Under 21s. He came on as a second half substitute for Rhys Evans last week against Serbia & Montenegro and is in the squad for tonight’s game at the Stadium of Light against Slovakia.