ENNER VALENCIA

The Hammers fought off competition from a host of Europe's leading clubs to secure the services of 25-year-old forward Enner Valencia from Mexican side Pachuca.

Valencia, who impressed hugely in scoring three goals for his country at the FIFA World Cup finals in Brazil, joined West Ham in summer 2014 on a five-year contract for an undisclosed fee.

A striker whose rich vein of goalscoring form in 2014 shot him to prominence, he will now look to bring his considerable promise to the Barclays Premier League.

2014/15

Made his Hammers debut as a substitute in the opening day defeat to Tottenham Hotspur on 16 August 2014...Scored his first goal for the Club in some style, smashing home from 25 yards in the 2-2 draw with Hull City on 15 September 2014...Continued his good goalscoring form in the October international break, scoring for Ecuador against USA and twice against El Salvador.

Before West Ham

Born in the port town of San Lorenzo on the north coast of Ecuador, close to the Colombian border, Valencia began his career with Club Sport Emelec in the city of Guayaquil....helped Emelec to reach the Ecuadorean Serie A Championship Finals and the group stage of the Copa Libertadores - South America's premier continental competition - in both 2010 and 2011...starred as Emelec reached the Copa Libertadores round of 16 and the Serie A Championship Finals again in 2012...was handed his senior international debut by Ecuador manager Reinaldo Rueda in a friendly match against Honduras in February 2012...the year 2013 was the best of Valencia's career to date, with his club winning the Serie A title for the first time in eleven years and also topping the goalscoring charts in the Copa Sudamerica - South America's equivalent of the UEFA Europa League - with five goals in just four matches...Valencia was also able to celebrate his first international goal in a 2-2 draw against Honduras in November 2013...that outstanding form saw the Ecuadorian move to Pachuca in January 2014. In Mexico, he hit the net with unerring regularity, banging in 18 goals in just 23 Torneo Clausura appearances as Pachuca finished as runners-up to Leon...at the 2014 FIFA World Cup In Brazil, he picked up where he had left off by opening the scoring in Ecuador's first group-stage fixture against Switzerland. He then netted both goals as the South Americans defeated Honduras 2-1, taking his tally to seven in 13 internationals.