Freddie Sears

With both sides deadlocked at 1–1, Sears came on for Nolberto Solano in the 75th minute and scored the winner, also his debut goal, just five minutes and 16 seconds into his first-team career, heading in the rebound from his initial attempt at goal.

Sears said that he was buzzing following his debut, and it was made even sweeter as a West Ham fan with his friends and family in the stands at the Boleyn Ground.

Sears again appeared as a substitute one week later as West Ham secured a draw at Everton.

Frederick David Sears (born 27 November 1989) is an English professional footballer who plays as a forward for National League South club Braintree Town.

He started his career with his local club West Ham United at the age of eleven, progressing through the West Ham United Academy.

He had a chance to win the game in the 90th minute, but his effort clipped the post.

Sears made his first senior start for West Ham on 19 April in a match with Derby County.

After featuring for 75 minutes, manager Alan Curbishley was verbally abused by the home fans when he withdrew Sears and replaced him with Carlton Cole.

However, Curbishley's decision was justified just two minutes later when Cole scored the winner for the Hammers.

Sears ended the season with a total of seven first-team appearances.

Born in Hornchurch, East London, Sears scored his first goal in the Premier Reserve League South on 20 November 2006 when West Ham drew 1–1 with Portsmouth.

He scored a further three goals in 14 reserve appearances, making ten starts.

In addition, Sears made 28 appearances in the Academy League, where he netted nine goals and started 19 games.

Sears began the 2007–08 season in good scoring form during a prolific run with the clubs' under-18 side, which included a hat-trick against Millwall in early October 2007.

He made a scoring first-team debut in March 2008 when he netted the winner against Blackburn Rovers after coming on as a second-half substitute.

Sears made over 50 first-team appearances for West Ham, but never held down a regular starting position.

Having been consistent and scoring 20 goals in 15 games to February 2008, Academy coach Tony Carr warned Sears that he needed to remain focused in order to achieve his goal of breaking into the first-team squad.

Sears had already been asked on a frequent basis to train alongside the first-team under Alan Curbishley's stewardship.

Sears managed a total of 17 under-18 games, starting 16 matches scoring 22 goals.

He also appeared in one FA Youth Cup game, and started four reserve games, appearing in six and scoring three goals.

On the back of his excellent form at both Reserve and Academy levels, Sears was first handed a new contract on 11 March 2008 to tie him to the club until 2010, and he was then handed his first-team debut on 15 March, aged 18, in a Premier League game against Blackburn Rovers.

Sears missed 2008–09 pre-season with West Ham due to international duty with the England under-19s in the European Under-19 Championship.

He featured in his first game of pre-season in a youthful Hammers side that beat Thurrock on 27 July.

He made his first appearance of the season for the first-team in West Ham's 2–1 win over Wigan Athletic on 16 August 2008.

Sears signed a new five-year contract in November 2008.

Sears played 17 Premier League games during the season, alongside three FA Cup and two League Cup appearances.

He also featured for the Reserve side, making seven appearances and scoring five goals.

He scored all four goals for the Hammers in a 4–3 win over West Bromwich Albion on 30 September 2008.

Prior to the beginning of the 2009–10 season, Hammers manager Gianfranco Zola announced his intention to send Sears out on loan to 'prove himself'.

Leyton Orient manager Geraint Williams expressed an interest in signing Sears on loan, but showed concern that he may but put off in signing for a League One club.

Crystal Palace manager Neil Warnock also showed his interest in taking Sears on loan, before confirming his signing on a season-long loan deal on 22 June 2009.

Warnock said he was "delighted" to have Sears on board at the club following his loan signing, praising the player for agreeing to the switch despite late interest from Queens Park Rangers.

Sears scored in his first appearance in Palace colours on 14 July, scoring in a 5–2 win in Baltimore, US, against Crystal Palace's American affiliates Crystal Palace Baltimore.

He made it two goals in two pre-season games, netting a 20-yard shot in their 3–1 win against Harrisburg City Islanders on 17 July.

Sears later told Warnock that he was happy to play where his manager wanted following his positive start to his Crystal Palace career.

He scored his third goal in four games in a 3–0 friendly win over Bristol Rovers on 24 July, before starting in Palace's Championship opening fixture against Plymouth Argyle on 8 August.

Sears had loan spells with Crystal Palace, Coventry City and Scunthorpe United, before joining Colchester United for the latter half of the 2011–12 season.

He scored two goals in 11 appearances for the U's, prompting the club to sign him on a permanent basis from the Hammers in July 2012.

After joining the Essex club, Sears rediscovered his scoring form, scoring 34 goals in 99 games in his two-and-a-half year stay before departing for Ipswich.

Sears has also represented England at under-19, under-20 and under-21 levels.