West Ham United forward Mohammed Kudus is close to completing his first season at the Club, having joined from Ajax last summer.
And there’s not many that can look back on the 2023/24 campaign with as much fondness as our Ghanaian sensation.
Kudus has lit up the Premier League this season with his performances for the Hammers, while he also helped his team reach the quarter-finals of the UEFA Europa League with a string of special moments such as his incredible solo goal against SC Freiburg.
The 23-year-old has an intriguing mix of strength, skill, imagination and technique, which has seen him score 13 goals and record five assists in all competitions - but he is aiming for even more as West Ham aim to bounce back from last week’s disappointing defeat to Chelsea with victory over Luton Town in their final home game of the season on Saturday.
Speaking to whufc.com, Kudus said: "I’ve enjoyed it [first season in England]. Everyone around [the Club] has helped me settle well, so it has been a nice experience. I’ve been here almost a full season now, but I still have a lot more to show and I believe this is just the beginning.
“I followed my gut and dream to move here and believed I was ready. When I decided to make this move to the best league in the world, I knew I was ready to take that step and I wanted to test myself. There have been ups and downs throughout the season, but I know there are more ways to improve my game. I’ve definitely announced myself here and I am happy that it has gone in that direction for the first season.
“We can only look forward at what is ahead of us. Last season compared to this season there is improvement in our position [in the table], so we just need to aim to finish as high as we can with good performances in the last two games and then see what happens next season."
The No14, who made his West Ham debut as a substitute in the reverse fixture win against Luton in September, insists he and his teammates will be fighting for every last point in their remaining two games, despite their European qualification hopes having all but ended at Stamford Bridge last time out.
Rob Edwards' Hatters visit east London fighting for their top-flight safety, currently three points adrift of 17th-placed Nottingham Forest with 36 games played, and Kudus is under no illusions about the threats they will pose.
He added: “We are expecting a difficult game, as Luton are still fighting to stay in the division, but we will be up for it as we still have something to play for. We continue to take each game as it comes, and we're fully focused on this weekend.
“The energy has to be up after the disappointment [last weekend], and we need to bounce back. Training has been good this week, so we are prepared and ready. It’s the last home game of the season, so we want to give the fans a nice experience and a positive finish. It has to be a memorable one.”
