Diafra Sakho has balanced his head - Slaven Bilic

Diafra Sakho shoots past Matteo Darmian

Tuesday Oct 03, 2017. 15:00

Senegal striker Diafra Sakho has “balanced his head” at West Ham United and is nearing a return to his best, according to coach Slaven Bilic.

The Teranga Lions striker came off the bench to score the winner for the Hammers in their victory over Swansea this past weekend.

Sakho has battled against injuries through the course of 2017 but there is hope that he will kick on and recapture the prolific form he showed when he first joined West Ham in 2014.

“Sakho, there have been stories about him in the transfer window and all that, but he stayed and he's balanced his head here,” said Bilic in regards to the Senegalese attacker.

“He is training good and that's why he is playing in most of the games, because he looks good and sharp in training. That's why he came on, on Saturday, and he did his job. That's why he's in my plans.

“I spoke to him a couple of times but it's more about him. His problem was that, the whole of last season, he was out and he was injured and had problems and an operation.

“Now he feels fit and he is training better and more regularly and, because he is training better, I am using him and that is balancing his head.

“We didn't want to let him go. He had a couple of talks with the Chairman and with me and it all helped, but it was mostly him, because if the person doesn't want to do it, you can't make it good enough to play the game. It was him who wanted to be here, for him and for us."

Sakho is set to feature for Senegal when they play a 2018 World Cup qualifier away to Cape Verde on Saturday.