West Ham midfielder Edson Álvarez has publicly expressed his admiration for head coach Julen Lopetegui in an official interview on the club’s website.
The Mexican international, who has been the subject of much transfer speculation in recent days, is nearing a return to first-team action after an injury sustained during the Copa América.
In a candid conversation with the in-house media team, Álvarez suggested that his return to the pitch could be sooner than expected and confidently declared that he expects the Hammers to qualify for Europe this season.
“The recovery has gone quite well. I would say I’m closer to reaching full fitness than people think. It has been three months of a lot of learning on a personal level,” Álvarez told whufc.com.
However, it was his comments on Lopetegui that caught attention. They certainly didn’t seem like the words of a player planning his West Ham exit.
When asked if he was looking forward to playing under the Hammers’ head coach, Álvarez was full of praise: “I am not very surprised. This was part of the project that was presented to me: to improve, to try to grow. The truth is that the players West Ham have brought in are of great quality with big names. In the end, it all helps us to grow in order to compete and achieve our objectives.
Alvarez is delighted with the appointment of Lopetegui
Midfielder bullish on Euro return
“Personally, I am very happy with Lopetegui’s appointment. It was very easy for me because we share the same language, so it is much easier for me to understand what he wants. He’s a gaffer with ambition and a lot of desire to do things well here. Obviously, he is changing our whole mentality and the way we play. Both myself and my teammates are very happy with his arrival. Now it’s about making sure the results go our way to show that we are doing things right.”
The former Ajax man continued, “The most important thing, and what we are all looking for, is to get back into Europe. So that means we have to be in the top places in the Premier League. The truth is that with this team, I have no doubt that we are going to do it. We are going to fight for important things. Why not win a cup? I think it’s within reach. There are several objectives that we have, at least for me personally, but also as a group. This is just the beginning; there’s still a long way to go. Let’s hope that everything goes well.”
The full interview can be read on the West Ham website here.