Nikola Vlašić cannot wait to share a pitch with West Ham United’s group of exciting attackers - including 'beast' Michail Antonio!
The Croatia star will himself add further firepower to a team that has scored ten goals in its first three Premier League matches of the 2021/22 Premier League season.
Eight of those goals were shared by centre-forward Michail Antonio and attacking midfielders Saïd Benrahma and Pablo Fornals, while Jarrod Bowen has also been in scintillating form on the right wing.
With those statistics in mind, the reigning Russian Premier League Player of the Year, who has scored 54 goals of his own for club and country in his relatively short career, is relishing the prospect of linking up with his new teammates.
Michail is a beast and what he’s done over the last year and a half is amazing
Nikola Vlašić
“You know, I see these players – Saïd, Fornals and Bowen – and they’re really similar, and Michail is a beast and what he’s done over the last year and a half is amazing,” he told West Ham TV, following his deadline day transfer from CSKA Moscow. “I think he’s probably in the top three strikers in the Premier League.
“The whole team is really solid in midfield and defence and I think we can do great things.”
While West Ham have scored at an eye-catching rate in recent months, Vlašić says the Club also possesses outstanding players in other areas.
The former Hajduk Split star played against England’s Declan Rice and Czech Republic trio Tomáš Souček, Vladimír Coufal and Alex Král – who joined hours after the Croatian on deadline day – at UEFA Euro 2020 and is a keen admirer of their talents.
Having followed the Hammers’ fortunes last season, Vlašić is also aware of the Czech mates’ famous work ethic and has vowed to follow their example when he arrives at Rush Green this week.
“I have heard a lot about professional Tomáš and Vlad are and how they have this mentality that they are always working hard and I like that because I am the same player,” he confirmed.
“I want to work as hard as possible every day and I’m really professional.
“About Declan, he’s West Ham captain and he’s only 22 and he’s in the starting XI in the national team, so I think you don’t need to say too much about him. Everybody knows his quality and how good he is.
“Hopefully [like them] I can also be in the history books of West Ham and I hope I will put even deeper things in history, so I’m really, really excited.”
