Manuel Lanzini believes the best years of his West Ham United career are still to come after making a successful return from injury.
The No10 showed plenty of glimpses of the elusive dribbling, forward thinking and creative ability which made him a Hammers hero in Friday’s 3-1 Premier League win over Fulham at London Stadium.
And, having made his first appearance since being sidelined by a knee injury suffered while preparing for the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals with Argentina, Lanzini thanked all those who supported him during his recovery and vowed to repay them with his performances in Claret and Blue.
“After eight months of work and recovery, I went back to doing what I like doing most and what I love on Friday night,” he said. “The sound of the supporters cheering for me and singing my name when I entered the pitch in the second half was unbelievable and it is what I have worked so hard for.
“At times, my recovery and rehabilitation were not easy, both physically and mentally, and many feelings and many things went through my head, but I stayed positive and gave maximum effort to my work.
“I want to thank the fans for the support you always gave me and I believe the positive thoughts you shared definitely helped me to return stronger. I love you all.
“I also want to thank my girlfriend and my family for the unconditional support they gave me during this challenging period, as well as Miguel and Ezequiel for their support.
“I felt good on Friday, but I know I still have work to do to get to my best fitness levels and best form. I am determined to get there, but I know I have to be sensible and not rush things.
“We have many good things to work for in the future and I am looking forward to playing for Mister Pellegrini and his staff. We have a very strong squad here and hopefully we can achieve good things this season and in the next seasons.
“Thank you very much to everyone. I am sure the best is yet to come.”