When Stuart Pearce is one of your coaches, a lost tooth is not going to get you much sympathy.
Josh Cullen proved his toughness to ‘Psycho’ on Sunday afternoon, when West Ham were held to a 0-0 draw at League One side Shrewsbury Town.
The FA Cup third round clash will go to a replay, something which manager David Moyes could definitely have done without as he aims to concentrate on keeping the Hammers afloat in the Premier League.
Moyes fielded a relatively strong side, with Cullen one of the less experienced starters, but the top-flight outfit simply couldn’t break the deadlock at New Meadow.
But, at the very least, Cullen proved his dedication to the cause as he played through a mouth injury sustained when he received a kick in the jaw from Shrewsbury midfielder Abu Ogogo.
Slow-motion replays of the high boot showed that the 21-year-old’s tooth went flying out on impact but, credit to him, he continued playing after undergoing treatment on the touchline.
His tooth comes flying out there! 😷😬 #Cullen #SHRWHU pic.twitter.com/pNDXKaButr
— Oninja (@OrigamiNinja79) January 7, 2018
As Cullen, a Republic of Ireland U21 international, changed out of his blood-soaked kit, the West Ham physio could be seen looking for his tooth in the grass and managed to find it.
He’s the real hero!
