West Ham United’s record signing, Felipe Anderson, has revealed in an interview with the Evening Standard why he initially struggled in the Premier League and his ambition to be the Irons’ next hero like Paolo Di Canio.
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What’s he said?
The Brazilian moved to east London in the summer for a record fee, trumping the sum spent on Issa Diop two weeks earlier, but initially struggled for form as he adapted to the English game.
Speaking to the Evening Standard, the former Lazio winger – who Transfermarkt now value at £31.5million – explained how he aims to put his early struggles behind him and become a hero to the club’s fans, just like their legendary Italian forward.
“I saw him [Di Canio] many times and knew his importance there [Lazio] and here,” said the 25-year-old. “I want to follow in his steps, play like him and earn a reputation like him. He was a great player.
“I still need to adapt a bit to the high intensity because it’s difficult. In Italy, the tempo is slower, and the teams focus a lot on tactics. Here, the intensity and aggression is permanent.
“If you’re losing or winning you can’t stop, you need to keep working. There’s always players behind the ball, and it’s difficult at times, but you need to take care of your body to do better in the tough games.”
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What did he mean?
Di Canio scored 52 times for the Claret and Blues over five seasons – playing 141 games in east London – and earned a reputation at the Boleyn Ground for his lively and animated ways.
Hopefully, Anderson sees the Italian as an inspiration for the talent he possessed with the ball rather than for some of his antics without it, including pushing referee Paul Alcock, which resulted in an 11-match ban before he joined West Ham.
In east London though, the 5 foot 10 attacker was able to get fans on side and helped the club qualify for the 1999-2000 UEFA Cup by winning the Intertoto Cup.
The difference between Italian and English ways
Since the 25-year-old moved from Lazio to West Ham in the summer, Manuel Pellegrini has called on the Brazilian 14 times – 12 starts in the Premier League, coupled with two EFL Cup outings.
At first, things did not look great for the 5 foot 9 winger. He seemed to find another gear when he scored an early opener against Manchester United, but that turned into a red herring.
Against Tottenham particularly, Anderson ghosted around as he shrugged off his defensive responsibilities but also cut a lost figure in attack. Eventually turning things around against Burnley with two goals and the equaliser at Huddersfield.
Accepting that in England you can never switch off to meet the high intensity is a great sign that Anderson wants to do well in the Premier League. Adapting between the Italian and English ways was always going to be a problem, but Anderson now appears aware of the hard work that requires.