Fellow Hammer is Hogan`s Hero

Colchester United`s on-loan star Hogan Ephraim has named fellow Upton Park professional Teddy Sheringham as his footballing hero: "Seeing him in training is amazing."

Hogan, an England youth international, spoke in an interview for United`s matchday supplement, saying that West Ham`s 40-year-old Teddy has had a massive influence on his career to date. He added that the one-time Manchester United, Tottenham and Portsmouth striker has been an absolute inspiration, both on and off the field.

"As a kid, I used to find myself just behind the strikers and picking the ball up between the midfield and forward line. Apart from Wayne Rooney, there isn`t really anyone as good as Teddy, and Eric Cantona before him, at doing this."

"It was seeing Teddy do it so effectively that made me want to play in that position."

Hogan also admits that Sheringham, a distinguished striker who famously scored a decisive goal in the 1999 European Cup Final, is happy to pass on his own invaluable experience from within the game, which Colchester`s number twenty-four has always been keen to receive.

"I have spent the last couple of years watching him as much as I can, every day in training and in as many West Ham games as possible. He has told me about playing under Terry Venables and Sir Alex Ferguson and how he learnt a lot from both of them.

"Seeing him in training is amazing and I think it is almost every day that I leave the ground and tell my mates about something he has done training that day.

"It is so different from watching him on TV because you can see his movement off the ball much better watching him live," added Ephraim.

Hogan has made a number of appearances for United his season, and is on loan until the end of the current campaign. There is hope in Colchester that he may opt to sign for the U`s parentally; especially after interest from Geraint Williams, who hailed the youngster as "exactly the type of player" he looks to sign in the transfer market.

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