You do not need to spend much time with Carlos Soler to realise he is a smart, grounded and thoroughly pleasant human being.
Calm, composed and competitive on the pitch, and polite and amiable off it, Soler arrived at West Ham United with a smile on his face, speaking fluent English and determined to show the qualities that have earned him 14 Spain caps, an Olympic Silver medal, UEFA European U21 Championship, two Ligue 1 titles and domestic cup wins in Spain and France.
Born in Valencia, Soler joined his eponymous hometown club at the age of eight, advancing through Los Ches' youth system and B team before establishing himself as a first-team regular in 2017 and playing 226 matches over six-and-a-half seasons in La Liga, Copa del Rey, UEFA Champions League and Europa League.
For Soler, playing for the team he supported as a boy was an honour and delight, not just for himself but for his family. An outstanding performer in La Liga, the midfielder travelled to the 2020 Olympic Games in Japan and 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, earning a move to French club Paris Saint-Germain.
Two seasons in Paris brought four winner’s medals, before the 27-year-old opted to bring his quality to the Premier League, as he joined West Ham on a season-long loan in late August.
As is the case with so many players arriving in England for the first time, it has taken Soler a little time to become accustomed to the intensity of the Premier League, but in recent weeks he has shown why he was brought to east London, starting wins over Newcastle United and Wolverhampton Wanderers and providing his first assist in Claret and Blue against Arsenal.
Speaking to West Ham TV after Monday’s emotional 2-1 victory over Wolves, at which Soler and his teammates showed support for Michail Antonio following his car accident, the No4 talked about his growing role at his new Club…
Carlos, that game was what the Premier League is all about – a tough game against a determined opponent?
“It was difficult game against a club that is in not a good situation, but they played well, I think. We have won this match dedicated to Michail. We had been talking with him before the match and we are with him and we are supporting him in his recovery. This win is for Michail.”
When you are part of a football squad, you spend more time with your teammates than anyone else, so when one member is not there and is suffering, his absence is felt?
“Yes. I've been here for three months, I think, and Michail is one of the… I don't know how to explain, but everyone knows Antonio! He’s always laughing and is a good man and all our support is with him.”
It was another game where we created a lot of chances, like we did at Leicester, but thankfully this time we got the win?
“When you make a lot of opportunities to score, but you don't score, in this moment it’s difficult because you feel like you are losing your confidence. Against Leicester, I think we made a good match. Obviously, we wanted to win and we made a lot of chances to score goals, like we did against Wolves. We suffered them drawing level but we went in front again with Jarrod [scoring the winner]. It was a very good match again from our captain and a great victory for us, because it's very, very important.”
It looks like you are feeling more comfortable, leading our press, picking up second balls and creating chances with your passes?
“Yes, sure, this is true. This is what I wanted. For me, it was very important to enter the [starting] line-up, and not only in one match or two matches. This was my fourth [start] in a row so for me, it's important as it gives me confidence and I feel it being on the pitch. I only want to play and to help my teammates to win and to score goals. I know I'm really close to scoring and assisting myself, but it will come, for sure, with hard work.”
You are one of nine new players who joined us in the summer and you’ve only had 15 games to gel, so it’s going to take some time for everything to click, particularly at such a high level?
“I think this is a new project. It’s different from the last four or five seasons with a new coach and a lot of new players. I think it's a project and needs time. We are trying to do our best. We know that fans could maybe be angry with some games, because we lost so many games. They were difficult games, but we could do better, and we didn't do it so yes, it takes time, but I think we are in the good way so, let's do it for the second half of the season.”
