West Ham have allowed Igor Julio to return from Brighton after a loan spell that achieved next to nothing.
While not to be too harsh on a player who was only afforded five appearances following a loan move from the south coast side in September, Igor has left West Ham after making very little impact.
In fact, the Brazilian’s best contribution to the West Ham United cause came during his days as a Fiorentina player.
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Indeed, Igor’s decision to try and play Jarrod Bowen offside during the Conference League final back in 2023 gave West Ham their greatest moment in recent history.
Though to take nothing away from the pass that Lucas Paqueta delivered, nor Bowen’s fine finish in Prague, it was Igor who was caught out.
Still, the topic seemingly never came up in conversation between the two during their brief time together…
Jarrod Bowen jokes that Igor Julio is a “bit scary”
West Ham’s official YouTube channel recently released a video of Bowen reflecting on his best moments at the club as the sixth anniversary of his arrival from Hull City approaches.
Naturally, Bowen’s famous goal for West Ham against Fiorentina came up. Though the England international’s relentless consistency is perhaps the best thing about him, that strike in Prague is what will go down in history.
Asked if he’d spoken to Igor about the famous incident, the 29-year-old said: “Nah, he’s a bit scary, so I don’t really know what to say to him.”
What Igor Julio has said about Jarrod Bowen’s goal for West Ham
Igor struggled for form at West Ham and it will be interesting how he rebuilds now he’s back at Brighton.
Quite what the future holds for him is unclear.
There is a certain irony in a loan signing who proved little more than pointless still being part of one of the club’s most famous moments in history, while playing for the opposite team.
Photo by Rob Newell – CameraSport via Getty Images
Julio’s time at Fiorentina ended shortly after that, having also been left out of their side for the Coppa Italia final defeat a few days earlier.
Asked by Sky Sports in 2023 if setbacks like the Bowen goal had spurred him on, he said: “Without a doubt.
“I think we had an ending that we didn’t even expect, even though it was a very good season.
“Reaching two finals in one season is something big. It was tough to lose both but great players always learn lessons from each defeat.”
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