West Ham United striker Sébastien Haller has suggested it was ‘logical’ for him to join the club in the summer transfer window.
Haller became the club’s record signing in the summer when he arrived in a £36m deal from Eintracht Frankfurt.
His first year in England has not been a happy one with him managing just seven goals and two assists in 29 games, a stark drop from the 20 goals and 12 assists he managed in 41 games last year.
Some have suggested the move to West Ham, and becoming their record signing has been a burden for the 25-year-old.
He says that is a matter of perspective, though, insisting the move to the London Stadium was a logical one for him to make.
“It (the move) happened because I had the opportunity,” he told Transfermarkt.de.
“It was perhaps logical for me to go to West Ham after all I have experienced in Frankfurt. That (the burden) depends on the perspective. If you are successful, everything is fine.
“If you miss your goals, you get criticised. The only thing you can do as a player is to use all your strength and energy. That depends on yourself.”
They became the second club to do so after Southampton earlier agreed a similar agreement with their players.
Other clubs are likely to follow suit, and Haller says it is ‘important’ for Premier League players to do something to help.
“It was important for us to help because, at West Ham, we know and feel that the people who work here are very happy to be here and work for us.
“We want to ensure that everyone can live a normal life. Of course it was a pleasure to help them. But it’s not just about the club.
“Other players also have the opportunity to help in their countries. Everybody tries to do something in their own way.”
At the moment nobody knows when the Premier League will return, with it currently suspended indefinitely until a later date.
There is a desire from most clubs to complete the season, although West Ham chief Karen Brady came under criticism for calling for it to be voided.
One solution is that clubs complete their games behind closed doors, but Haller is not a fan of that idea.
“To be honest: It’s a completely new situation, everybody knows that,” he added.
“Because of the time pressure, it is complicated to end the current season and start the new season in a normal way. The most important thing is the health of everyone.
“There is also the possibility to play without fans – but that is not the reason why we decided to play for this club.
“Ideally, you want to play with the fans, with the atmosphere and all that goes with it.”
