Fredi Fired Up

In-form striker Fredi Kanoute has spoken exclusively to the whufc.com newsletter as Hammers prepare to face Premiership new-boys Fulham on Saturday at Upton Park - and insists he is glad that he decided to stay at Upton Park in the summer rather than seek a move to Craven Cottage.

Th 24-year-old Frenchman has scored four goals in the last three games and appears to be finally free of the hamstring injury that plagued him at the start of the season. Boss Glenn Roeder has described his leading scorer as 'awesome' and the man himself is determined to continue the form that currently makes him one of the most feared marksmen in the Premiership.

Says Fredi: "I don't want to stop scoring goals because, when you stop, you start to worry about it and it becomes a problem.

"I want to keep getting in the positions to be able to score goals. I will keep working hard in training and hopefully the team can keep winning and I can score many goals.

"This season I have had some luck in front of goal - hopefully that means I am becoming a 'real' goalscorer. The ball has been running for me and the goal I scored at Ipswich was helped by a deflection - that didn't happen for me last season.

"Every striker needs that, though, and I hope it continues for a long time."

Saturday's match will give Fredi the chance to renew many old acquaintances and he admits that the west Londoners will provide strong opposition.

"I know many of the Fulham players from France, I played with Malbranque, Saha and Marlet. I played with Malbranque at Lyon and he is a very good player who can be dangerous in front of goal.

"They are a very good team and I know it will be a hard game for us. Jean Tigana is building a very good team and he has the ability to make them a success. I was very young when Tigana was the coach at Lyon and I wasn't in the first team, but I knew him well and he is an excellent coach.

"As a player he was magnificent and he has achieved a lot as a coach, with Lyon and Monaco."

Despite his obvious respect for the Fulham boss, though, Fredi insists he is happy at Upton Park and has no plans to move on.

"I am happy with everything here. As soon as I knew I wanted to stay here in the summer, I thought only about what I could achieve at West Ham this season.

"Things are going very well for me at the moment but I know that I must keep working hard if I want it to stay that way. The team are very confident at the moment, they are creating many chances for me and I am sure we will have a very good season if it carries on like this."