West Ham United signed Marko Arnautović from Stoke City in 2017 and he went on to score 21 goals and manage 10 assists in the league across two seasons.
The forward became a fan favourite with the Hammers, but his decision to join Shanghai SIPG in 2019 wasn’t well received by a section of the Premier League side’s supporters.
He was linked with a move to the Chinese Super League in January 2019, but no deal materialised. The 31-year-old finally made a switch to the Far East in the summer of the same year.
During the Austria international’s final six months with the London club, there were regular reports about interest from China.
” I have a kind of love-hate relationship with West Ham fans. I was at the top of the fan list, they really loved me. My exit was a bit more difficult, and I was also called ‘Snake’,” the Vienna-born player told LAOLA1.
The harsh criticism received from some West Ham fans has not bothered the attacker. Arnautović also talked about the changes in his personality after becoming a father.
“Anyone who has followed my career knows that I am immune to something like this,” the Shanghai SIPG star stressed.
“I was always labelled as a ‘bad boy’. Because I became a father, a lot has changed. So, in many situations you come across me being calmer than before.
“I am a guy who is helpful and not arrogant at all. But I am also not a person who is immediately open to everyone.”
