Kinga Szemik is hoping to make a strong start to life in the colours of West Ham United women’s team.
The 27-year-old goalkeeper was Rehanne Skinner’s first signing of the summer transfer window, joining from French Division 1 Féminine outfit Stade de Reims after her contract expired.
In France, Szemik kept a league-high nine clean sheets last term, and is a regular for the Poland national team, for whom she has 19 caps.
The first few days at any Club involve a lot of first conversations, meetings and general firsts – and Szemik feels she has settled into the West Ham rhythm already,
The imposing shot-stopper has enjoyed her first two weeks at Chadwell Heath, and is excited to see what the remainder of pre-season has in store.
“It’s been great coming in and getting to know everyone,” Szemik told whufc.com.
“I’ve been welcomed to the Club by all the staff and players, and we’re all working really hard in the early stages of pre-season to make sure we’re in the best position possible when the league season begins.
“I’m looking forward to the training sessions that we have over the next couple of weeks before we head off to Australia!”
Adapting to new cultures and countries is something that Szemik is used to. She has played in four different nations throughout her career, including in the USA at collegiate level in Texas.
Approximately 682,000 Polish people call the UK their home, meaning Szemik isn’t feeling like she is too far away from the home comforts of her homeland.
She continued: “It’s not my first time moving to a different country, so it’s not as hard as perhaps it could have been, but obviously it’s a different culture and there’s things that I’m adapting to on and off the pitch.
“Even little things like which way you have to look when you cross the road! There’ve been a couple of times I’ve caught myself looking the wrong way!
“There are also a lot of Polish people here in the UK, and I’ve been able to find a couple of supermarkets that sell things from home, so that’s great.
“It's an exciting time for me, and I really hope I can make a strong start and help the Club as much as possible!"
A pre-season trip to Australia is looming for the women’s team, as they prepare to make the long journey to Perth to take part in the inaugural Perth International Football Cup.
The Hammers face Paris Saint-Germain in their opening match Down Under on 29 August, and will then take on one of Leicester City or Manchester City before returning back to England ahead of the new season.
Szemik is excited for the opportunity to play against strong opposition on foreign soil, and hopes it will set the team up for the challenges they will face week in, week out in the Barclays WSL.
”I’m so excited for the trip,” she explained. “It’s going to be a great opportunity for us all to really bond and make sure we’re all ready for the season.
“The games aren’t the easiest, so it’ll be a good test for us to see where we are at that stage in pre-season. Australia is somewhere I haven’t been before, and I’ve heard there are quite a lot of West Ham fans out in Perth. I’m excited to meet the supporters out there and get a taste of what’s to come.”
