Robert Snodgrass has spoken for the first time about his the transformation from his outcast months under Slaven Bilic to becoming part of Manuel Pellegrini’s West Ham family.
He looks certain to be involved at Newcastle today after being suspended for the City match last weekend after making 15 appearances this season, scoring twice and providing 15 assists.
It’s a far cry from last term when he played his football at Villa after being warned by Bilic he would not be given sufficient game-time following his £10.2 million switch from Hull.
The 31 year old Scot told the Daily Mail: ‘It’s been difficult in football terms. I had a long-term injury at Hull and it kind of stems from that. I only had a few months here and it sometimes takes that for players to settle in.
‘I wanted to show the club I was brought here for a reason, to be part of a team, driving forward, winning games and I always wanted that.
‘So when that gets taken away from you and you’re told you’re not going to be playing as much, it goes back to that injury – I’ve missed far too much football and I wanted to go and try and play.
‘I had a fantastic time at Aston Villa last season but I was always looking at coming back here and giving my best. I am happy to be here and being part of the project that’s going on.’
‘Any manager that’s had me knows that I am as honest as the day comes. I’ll give my all, I’ll try and work hard and I’m a team player.’
He reruend from Villa at the same time as nine new faces were arriving at West Ham and his was among those widely expected to disappear.
He said: ‘Each week we feel more confident with each other. The board spent a lot of money on new players with different cultures, and they need to get used to us and we need to get used to them as well.
‘Now you’re starting to see the best of players, with small glimpses of players like [Felipe] Anderson who popped up with two goals against Burnley. This is why they’ve been brought in, to make us better.’
Snodgrass is part of the club’s Players’ Project and added: ‘It’s great for us to see the work that we’re doing here. It’s great to give back to the community and the kids as well.
‘What you’ll see is a lot more of the players getting involved in things close to their heart and building up relationships with the community.’
ClaretandHugh says: The total professional who is almost Kiplinesque in his approach to life, facing fortune and misfortune with the same unworried and highly professional attitude. His Hammers resurrection has been remarkable and worthy of all sorts of admiration. Snoddy may not be Pele but he gives everything he has and that’s quite a lot and all most Hammers fans ask for. Nor is he a moaner as he has showed in this latest article where he explains rather than blames which is often the stock in trade of aggrieved footballer with a grudge to bear. It would have been all too easy to have a moan up about Bilic but instead he went to Villa, did a great job but came back with his eyes fixed on making it with us and has succeeded. He also made it clear he had no issues with the chairman or his son after those remarks about him. You’d need to go a long way to find a better pro whose head is very much on his shoulders rather than up another part of his anatomy like so many professional footballers.