It was love at first sight. Or so it seemed. It was 15 March 2008 and West Ham were drifting towards an inconsequential 1-1 draw with Blackburn Rovers. There were 15 minutes left when Alan Curbishley turned to his bench and decided he might as well throw on the untried teenage striker who was sitting there for the first time.

Freddie Sears was 18 and had never played for the first team, yet he had scored 24 goals in 25 appearances for the youth side and there was a buzz of anticipation around Upton Park as he entered the fray. They like their local heroes in east London.

Sears needed six minutes to make his mark. A backheel from Dean Ashton set him up for a shot. Brad Friedel saved it but the ball spooned up in the air and Sears reacted before the Blackburn defenders, darting forward and sending a diving header into the net.

Upton Park erupted, Sir Geoff Hurst applauded, Sir Trevor Brooking smiled. It was like an early draft from Harry Kane’s scriptwriters. Sears was small, sharp, quick and clearly had an eye for goal; the new Tony Cottee.

Four years later he was dropping into League One and signing for Colchester United. The early promise faded, Sears scored only two more goals for West Ham and was unable to establish himself in the side. “I wanted to make a name for myself again,” Sears says.

He had been on loan at Colchester and he joined them on a free transfer in the summer of 2012. Slowly his confidence returned. He scored eight goals in his first season, 12 in his second, and then something clicked for him at the start of this season. Sears scored his 14th goal of the season in Colchester’s 2-0 win at Peterborough United on 10 January and a week later he was setting up a goal on his debut for Ipswich Town as they won 3-1 at Millwall.

Freddie Sears celebrates scoring against Blackburn on his debut for West Ham in March 2008, aged 18. Photograph: Christopher Lee/Getty Images

Sears was on the rise again, his exploits at Colchester catching Mick McCarthy’s eye, and he has adapted brilliantly to life in the Championship. “When Ipswich came in I was desperate to get down there and speak to the manager, knowing what he is like,” Sears says. “I couldn’t wait. Everything was sorted out and I came in and hit the ground running. It’s been a perfect move for me and a good one for the club.”

Having begun the season in League One, Sears could soon be a Premier League player again. He has scored eight goals for Ipswich and McCarthy’s side occupy the final play-off spot. They are three points clear of Brentford and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Ipswich have been delighted with Sears. McCarthy has always had a knack of spotting a bargain in the lower leagues but had to get this signing right. With David McGoldrick struggling to stay fit, they needed a striker. Yet Sears has hit it off with Daryl Murphy, the Championship’s leading scorer.

He has also enjoyed working with Terry Connor, McCarthy’s assistant. “He does individual training for strikers, which is good,” Sears says. “It’s different to what you’re used to. It’s been enjoyable. He’s been there and done it as a striker. It’s good for him to take the individual sessions. A lot of them are getting the rewards – Murphy’s top scorer this season, I’ve scored a few, so it’s obviously helped. He’s been working on shooting mainly and a lot of sharp stuff around the box. It’s good. Practice makes perfect.”

Sears is 25 and is not bitter about leaving West Ham. He supported them as a boy and he enjoyed his time in their academy. Yet his success at Ipswich shows young players who have been written off can still perform at a higher level with the right manager and the right club.

His opportunities were limited at West Ham and when he did play, he was often shunted out to the wing. He failed to score in loan spells at Crystal Palace, Coventry City and Scunthorpe United. His career was drifting and his luck was summed up by the infamous “ghost goal” he scored for Palace against Bristol City in 2009. His shot found the bottom corner, the ball hit the stanchion and bounced out, a goalkick was awarded. At least Sears can look back and laugh now but he was not amused at the time.

Was his development stunted? There was so much hype after he scored against Blackburn. Sears is level-headed but it can be difficult for a youngster to cope with that pressure. “You break into the team, you score and you have a lot of pressure on you and then you don’t start playing,” he says.

Sears is playing now. Ipswich host Nottingham Forest at Portman Road on Saturday and then visit Blackburn on the final day. What price a Sears winner?