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EPL If Nottingham Forest had it their way, Crysencio Summerville’s lively cameo appearance at the City Ground would have been in red and white rather than claret and blue. As it was, Summerville provided an assist for Jarrod Bowen and won a penalty during West Ham United’s 3-0 win. Head coach Graham Potter introduced the 23-year-old in the latter stages — a luxury Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo once hoped to have up his sleeve. Advertisement When winger Anthony Elanga joined Newcastle United for an initial fee of £52million ($70m) in July, Forest viewed Summerville as an ideal replacement. They were not the only suitors, however, with Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund enquiring about signing the Dutchman on loan. But as far as Summerville was concerned, he had no interest in leaving. He informed his representatives he had unfinished business at West Ham. It was a sign of the winger’s commitment to the club and his gratitude for their continued support during a low moment in his career. Summerville, who joined from Leeds United for £25m in 2024, on a five-year deal, only made his second appearance under Potter in last Sunday’s win. In January, he sustained a hamstring injury in Potter’s first game in charge, a 2-1 defeat in the FA Cup against Aston Villa. The attacker was sidelined for eight months and endured setbacks during his rehabilitation. The extended injury lay-off was the longest he has been sidelined since injuring an ankle while playing for Leeds in April 2022, which also ended his season. The former Netherlands Under-21 international initially opted against having surgery in the hope he would return to action quicker. Having discussed the decision with West Ham’s medical team and those in his inner circle, it was decided that conservative rehab could heal the damaged muscle naturally. Summerville pencilled in a return to action for the end of April and was on track to reach that target. But the attacker re-aggravated his hamstring at the club’s training hub in Rush Green. He underwent surgery in April and resumed light training in Dubai two months later. It was his preferred post-season holiday destination and geared towards his comeback. The squad reported for pre-season training on July 7 and Summerville was pleased he had not experienced any setbacks or complications from his surgery. He hoped to feature in the latter stages of West Ham’s pre-season schedule, but the club’s medical team was cautious with his return. Ahead of Summerville’s outing at the City Ground, he did not feature for the under-21s, nor play in a behind-closed-doors friendly. He improved his fitness by being at the training ground on his days off. Team-mates Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Jean-Clair Todibo and Mohammed Kudus, who joined rivals Tottenham Hotspur for £55m, were close companions during Summerville’s rehab. This season, he has returned with renewed focus, a point to prove and and extra appreciation for his employers. Advertisement “This summer was a bit different from the rest, but I feel very locked in with myself, ” he told the club’s official website.  “I think the mental part was harder this year. I think everyone wants to play. You want to do what you love the most. “I wasn’t able to help the team and contribute to the season, and I think mentally it was really tough for me. But, as I said, people helped me a lot, and I always try to be positive. Even when I’m down, I try to lift people up, so I expect the same from them, and I’m happy with the people around me. ” The winger spent time with family and took up new sports in golf and padel during his downtime. His redemption arc started against his one-time suitors and it could be a sign of things to come. Potter reverting to a 4-2-3-1 system against Forest enables the attacker to thrive on the left flank, as opposed to the previously deployed wing-back formation. Potter may want to ease Summerville’s integration into the starting XI against Tottenham, but with Kudus set to line up in the opposition colours, it would be the best game for Summerville to show his head coach and friend that the club has a worthy replacement. “It feels for me like I’m still a new signing because I didn’t play much last season, so I couldn’t show my ability, ” said Summerville. “So what excites me the most is getting to play in front of the fans again and showing them what I’m capable of. I don’t have something to prove. I don’t feel like that. I don’t feel pressure. “I know what I’m capable of, so I just want to show the West Ham fans and the world who Crysencio Summerville is. And when I’m back, it’s going to be showtime; that’s what I can say. ” (Top photo: Alex Pantling/Getty Images) Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle Roshane Thomas is a staff writer who covers West Ham United for The Athletic. Previously, he worked for the Sunday Times and talk SPORT. Follow Roshane on Twitter @Roshane Sport