When Andriy Yarmolenko arrived at West Ham from Borussia Dortmund for a fee of £18m, it seemed like a great deal.
After all, the Ukrainian had impressed during his time at Dynamo Kyiv, and while it might not have been ideal in Germany, he remained a talented winger capable of changing a game on his day.
Everton discovered that during his first league start for the Hammers, as he scored two goals in a 3-1 win, and the start of a fairytale appeared to be developing.
However, it wasn’t to be, as Yarmolenko ended up rupturing his Achilles tendon a month later, putting an end to his first season in the Premier League.
He came back the next season, returning to a decent level, and helped out with five goals and an assist in 23 league games.
This year, it’s mostly in the EFL Cup that he’s had an impact, with two goals and three assists in three appearances, but he has still managed to appear here and there in the league.
Asked in an interview with Transfermarkt in association with Betway Sportwetten, if the transfer to West Ham fulfilled his expectations, he said: “English football is different than in Germany. I had good and bad spells here in England. On top of that, I had a terrible injury, I was out for ten months. But that happens in football. There are no guarantees to stay healthy. But I really enjoy being at West Ham.”
As for whether he had any difficulties when he moved to England, he added: “Actually, everything went pretty well. I had more difficulties getting used to Dortmund. When I arrived in England, I was helped immediately in all situations.
“There are employees at the club who helped me find an apartment and the right school for my children. That helped me tremendously to structure and cope with everyday life and concentrate 100% on football. It isn’t usually that easy when you move to a new country. I am therefore very grateful to the employees and the club”.
