Valon Behrami has pledged to continue working hard throughout the summer months, long after this season has ended, as he begins to plan his return to first-team action.
The 23-year-old midfielder is sidelined with an anterior cruciate ligament injury, which he suffered in the 1-0 win over Manchester City last month. After undergoing successful keyhole surgery, Behrami is now looking forward to starting light rehabilitation work in the next weeks with medical staff at Chadwell Heath.
As well as looking forward with optimism, Behrami was keen to take time out to thank the West Ham United fans for the support they have given him since he has been on the sidelines and to explain how touched he was by the response of the Boleyn Ground crowd when he was stretchered off the pitch.
"I was told afterwards that our fans were clapping for me when I was carried off," Behrami said. "At that time, I wasn't aware of this because of the injury! I wish they were clapping for me for a different reason! But hearing that just makes me know even more how special this club is and the people around it.
"I know with this support I can do my rehab work even better. It is always a pleasure to see and hear the West Ham fans, they have been fantastic to me since I arrived and I want them to know I want to come back stronger and give my all for the team when I can."
While no longer being able to play his part on the pitch this season, Behrami will be adding his support from the stands with the fans as the team continue to work towards a possible UEFA Europa League place for next season.
"I will be watching as many games as this injury will allow me to. It will be frustrating to have to watch and not be able to play, but I will be doing my best to support the team in every match. The team is doing well and there is no reason why we can't keep getting the results and finish the season in a good place.
"I hope that they [the fans] will continue to support the team as they play the rest of the games, this is very important for all of us, to have their backing. Here at West Ham, it is not about the individual, it's about the team."
Behrami explained that being out with such an injury has taken a bit of time to adapt to. He said: "I have been lucky because I have not been out with an injury like this before. This season I have played nearly all the games and you look to keep going like that and hope that if you have an injury, it doesn't keep you out for long. But now I am getting my head around a different routine and starting my rehab work."
The Swiss international believes he is in the best hands possible, led by West Ham's head of rehabilitation, Giorgio Gasparini. Under his guidance, Behrami will be doing work to strengthen his knee following the operation.
"I am very happy that I have the best people around me to help me," he said. "I have people like Giorgio, who is one of the very best in his field, and we also have other good staff and it's important for me to have this.
"At the start I will be doing things to get the circulation going again around the knee and building up the reflexes and movement. There are difficult weeks ahead but as I said, I have the right people around me and I am very happy about that."
Off the field, Behrami has a welcome distraction as he recently became a father for the first time, with the birth of his baby daughter a month ago. "My partner and baby are at home with me here in England and yes, I can go home and perhaps forget the injury a little as she will keep us busy," he joked.
Having been here eight months since his arrival from Lazio in July last year, Behrami says he now feels completely at home at the club, which gives him further reason to work hard and get back in action.
"I feel this is my home now. When I arrived here, most of the team were away because they were on a pre-season tour, but when they returned, I settled in with them all very quickly and it has gone from there really.
"I like the mentality here, the club and the people. I have taken on all the advice about how much time it will take for me to get back. I won't rush anything as I want to come back stronger and give much more to the team again."