Mesaque Dju is planning to make a big impact after joining West Ham United.
The UEFA European U17 and U19 Championship winner agreed a three-and-a-half-year contract with the Hammers on Wednesday and will kick-off his Claret and Blue career as part of the Club’s U23 squad.
However, the ambitious 19-year-old, who has arrived from Lisbon giants Benfica, believes he has the attributes to force his way into the Irons’ first-team squad before too long.
“I am a player who is very fast and very good technically,” said the attacking midfielder, when asked to describe his best attributes. “I want to help the team and I want to score a lot of goals for this team.
“It's very big because I have to work for this next year because I want to play and help the team. I think it is good for me and for my family.
“Now, I am working every day to help this club.”
A two-footed player capable of playing on either flank or through the middle, Dju has long been considered one of Portugal’s brightest attacking prospects.
Capped by his country at every age-group level from U15 to U20, he has appeared for Portugal more than 50 times, winning the European U17 Championship in 2016, being named in the Team of the Tournament at the 2017 European U19 Championship finals and completing a fantastic hat-trick by winning the same title last summer.
At club level, Dju won Portugal's national youth league title, appeared in the UEFA Youth League and has played for Benfica B in Portugual’s second tier for the past two seasons.
He will now seek to bring his many talents to English football and West Ham United – a challenge which will not daunt the confident and outgoing teenager.
And, having seen Declan Rice, Grady Diangana and fellow countryman Xande Silva feature in the first team this season, he believes he is in the perfect place to progress.
“I know a lot about this club because it is a very big club in England and helps young players get to the first team,” he observed. “I want this and I'm working for this.
“I have seen a lot of West Ham games on TV and I see they have a very big stadium. Everyone dreams of playing in this stadium and I am working for this.”