Andriy Yarmolenko’s trademark smile is wider than ever after making his return to full training with West Ham United.
The Hammers’ Ukraine international forward was ruled out for the final eight months of last season after suffering a serious Achilles injury in the Premier League meeting with Tottenham Hotspur at London Stadium in October.
After undergoing successful surgery, Yarmolenko worked hard on his recovery, including spending time with his national team over the summer, and has spent the last ten days in full training with the Irons at their preseason training camp in Switzerland.
I also want to say thank you to all of our fans because I went to the stadium for all of our home games and everyone said ‘we miss you’ and ‘we need you’ and it’s really a good thing for me
Andriy Yarmolenko
“Now I’m really happy to be back and I’m enjoying it because I lost eight months and I really missed the team, the training sessions and missed my work,” he beamed. “Now I’m really enjoying it and I’m happy.
“I feel good. I’m training normally, and I just want to say thank you to all the staff I worked with during this time and that I really appreciate it.
“Of course, I also want to say thank you to all of our fans because I went to the stadium for all of our home games and everyone said ‘we miss you’ and ‘we need you’ and it’s really a good thing for me.”
Yarmolenko feels like he is making a fresh start in a Claret and Blue shirt after his first season in east London was cruelly cut short, and the 29-year-old has decided to mark the occasion by wearing a new squad number – No7 – this term.
“Maybe a little bit I am like a new signing!” he smiled. “I have picked seven because it is my number in the national team and also because it is a lucky number for me and I hope it makes me play well for West Ham!”
Yarmolenko will wear his new number for the first time on Thursday evening, when West Ham take on Austrian Bundesliga side SCR Altach.
You can follow that game live via whufc.com and our social media channels, with kick-off at 4.30pm UK time.
