Dimitri Payet has wasted little time in settling in to life with West Ham United.
Just six games into his Barclays Premier League career the Frenchman already has three goals to his name – and a couple of crucial ones at that with his double against Newcastle United securing all three points.
As the Hammers prepare to take on Norwich City on Saturday, Payet is determined to build on that momentum and help his new team maintain their position near the top of the table.
He said: “Of course scoring goals provided me with a big confidence boost on my arrival at a new club. The goals against Newcastle were the most important because my two goals won us the three points, whereas the one against Leicester did not earn us any points.
“I am very happy with my start here and I’m working hard to ensure it continues.”
When West Ham approached him in the summer, Payet insisted it was a simple decision to join the Club.
He added: “This is a project I want to be part of and I’m here to help the team. When the new manager came in, he implemented a new style of attacking football that was perfect for an attack-minded player like myself.
“Of course, we also have the new Stadium coming along and this is always a very important stage for Club when it goes through such a transition. Everyone here is very keen to improve on last season, when we finished 12th, and we think we can do that and, in the long term, secure European football here.
“Of course the success of French players here in England helped me to make my decision to come. The Premier League and Spain’s La Liga have always been the standout leagues for me and there were opportunities for me to move here previously, but I didn’t feel ready. Now, I am here and I feel ready to be here.
“I played with Joe Cole at Lille and he spoke to me about West Ham and his personal attachment to the Club and now I am here I can understand that very well.”
Read the full interview in Saturday’s Official Programme, available around the ground for just £3.50