Forgotten Flop George McCartney Signs 2-Year Deal With West Ham United

George McCartney has once again signed for West Ham United, this time on a permanent deal. It's now officially OK to get the bunting and the party poppers out.

McCartney as you may be aware came through our youth system, and performed admirably during his first stint at Sunderland before being shipped off to West Ham in exchange for £600k and Clive Clarke. A great deal that turned out to be eh?

The Belfast-born fullback then returned to Sunderland under Roy Keane for an undisclosed fee, rumoured to be around the £6m mark, however I really do pray it wasn't that much. It's also strongly been suggested that his wages were rather extortionate during this second stint, which lead to his reluctance to move earlier on, instead jobbing around at West Ham again, and Leeds United on loan deals of varying success.

Now following a season long loan at the former World Cup winners, where he was awarded the Players' Player Of The Season Award for his role in their promotion back to the Premier League, they've signed him on a two-year deal, taking him beyond his 33rd birthday.

McCartney told the Hammers official website today;

I am delighted to be coming back to West Ham - and this time, on a permanent basis.

As are we. Lets just hope we don't do anything stupid and sign him back on such a ludicrous contract, and this time it's for good. The wages we'll save alone should open up even more wiggle-room for Martin O'Neill to make some quality signings this summer.

Quality first time around, but injuries and more just contributed to an awful second time. Mind, they do say "never go back to the scene of the crime"... Now he's with West Ham for a second time, he's going to have to hope it works out better than it did here.