Valon Behrami is ready for "a big game" on Sunday as he looks forward to helping West Ham United in their bid for a third straight league win under Gianfranco Zola.
The unassuming midfielder is proving a revelation for the club, having only signed in the summer from Serie A giants Lazio but already become a firm favourite with the fans who appreciate his work-rate as much as his ability. He has particularly excelled in his new midfield role - a position he knows well and where he will line up for Switzerland next week on World Cup duty.
An energetic and enthusiastic performer who is usually one of the last to leave the Chadwell Heath training ground every day, Behrami is expecting the team to come out on top against Bolton Wanderers. He said: "It is a big game on Sunday. We don't need to talk so much about it but just let our actions speak for themselves. People are starting to talk more about West Ham but we just have to do our work on the pitch."
SEE THE MATCHDAY PROGRAMME FOR BEHRAMI
ON SWITZERLAND, ON ZOLA AND ON THE FUTURE
He is refusing to get too carried away by the form that has taken the club to fifth in the fledgling league table. "I don't know where we can finish. I don't like to predict the future but just take it game by game. I think we have a good way of working. We are working hard for success and that is the most important thing."
The 23-year-old said the club's set-up is "what I had been searching for this summer". Speaking to the match programme, he added: "For me, it is important to have found a team like West Ham United. The fans are incredible. All the people that work here are very good. It is like a family here and I like that a lot. We work very hard and all work in the same way. That is important for me. Every day when I wake up I am happy to go to the training ground."