From growing up a West Ham fan dreaming of one day playing for his club, to turning out for the Irons in Premier League matchups against the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool, Flynn Downes has already had a terrific journey in football despite only being 23 years old.
Position & Attributes
Flynn Downes is a tenacious Centre Midfielder, who is a great passer of the ball and reads the game excellently to enable him to make interceptions. Downes is also a strong tackler and likes to get stuck in during games.
Along with his defensive attributes, the midfielder also has a good eye for a pass and always looks to play forwards, meaning that he has been deployed in a variety of different positions across the midfield, most recently playing in a more attacking midfield role for West Ham.
Boyhood Hammer
Flynn Downes was born in 1999 and raised in Brentwood, finding a love of football and West Ham at an early age. He dreamt of playing one day playing for his club.
Downes started his life in football at local team Ongar Town, before being scouted by and joining Ipswich Town at the age of 7. Flynn rose through the academy and signed a 1-year professional contract in June 2017, but after impressing manager Mick McCarthy in pre-season, he was awarded a longer 3-year contract in July.
Following a flurry of first team appearances for Ipswich, Downes was loaned out to Luton Town in January 2018 and it was there he would help his team to achieve promotion from League Two as he featured 10 times for the Hatters in the league. Downes was given significant recognition at the end of this season, winning Ipswich’s young player of the year award.
Following this successful loan spell, Downes returned to Suffolk, with the Tractor Boys having recently appointed a new manager in Paul Hurst. Despite having a good personal season in 2018/19 and establishing himself in the first team with 29 appearances in the league, Ipswich finished bottom of the league and suffered relegation to League One and was Hurst replaced in the dugout by Scotsman Paul Lambert in November.
Downes signed a new three-year deal in March 2019 and also scored his first professional goal in a 3-2 final day win against Leeds United in May.
Rising Star
In the 19/20 season following Town’s relegation to League One, Downes became a key part of Paul Lambert’s midfield, making 29 league appearances for the Blues and despite his team not being able to gain promotion back to the Championship, Downes stood out.
During the summer of 2020, he was linked with a move away from the club, with Ipswich reportedly rejecting two offers from a Premier League club.
Following this interest, Downes handed in a transfer request in September, which lead to manager Paul Lambert dropping him for the first 3 games of the season.
Flynn made only 25 appearances for the blues in the 2020-21 season as he also suffered a knee injury. In February, Paul Lambert was sacked and in came new manager Paul Cook, with the Tractor Boys doomed to spend another season in League 1 as they finished 9th.
Leaving Suffolk
In the summer of 2021, Downes was told he was not in manager Paul Cook’s plans and on the 10th August he joined Swansea City on a four-year deal for £1.5 million, bringing an end to his 15 years at Ipswich.
Playing his football in the Championship once again, the midfielder impressed in South Wales, making 37 appearances in the league under manager Russell Martin and proving himself as one of the best midfielders in the league.
After having a good season at Swansea in 2021-22, Flynn again caught the interest of Premier League clubs, with Crystal Palace and West Ham both keen to sign the midfielder.
Dream Come True
On the 7th of July 2022, Downes would fulfil his dream of signing for West Ham. Flynn was bought from Swansea for a reported £12 million and signed a 5-year deal with the East London club, making his Premier League debut as he came off the bench in a 2-0 defeat against Man City.
Flynn has since started 3 Premier League matches in the league, most recently in a 1-0 loss to Man United. He has been an exciting new addition to the West Ham midfield when chosen, playing alongside Tomas Soucek and Declan Rice.
Flynn has featured for the club in Europa Conference League action this season, making 5 appearances in European competition. He has also played in the League Cup for the Irons this season, scoring a penalty in a penalty shootout defeat following a 2-2 draw with Blackburn.
What’s Next?
Downes will be looking to stay in and around the first team picture at West Ham. Having signed for his boyhood club, he will be desperate to push on and contribute more for his team in all competitions, with opportunities likely to come for the 23-year-old in league, cup, and European competition this season. Flynn will have to work hard to establish himself in the team.
With club captain Rice likely to leave the club sooner or later, the opportunity could be there for Flynn to fill his shoes and become a fan-favourite for the Irons. West Ham fans definitely have a player to be excited about in Flynn Downes and they will hope he goes on to stay with the club for many years.
Edited by Josh Morton
