Mexico national team manager Jaime Lozano has praised West Ham United midfielder Edson Alvarez for his adaptation to life in England, admitting both he and the player had thought it would be more difficult.
The Mexico coach has been speaking to Paramount, relayed by Marca, as he undergoes a European tour to look at Mexican players ahead of the next international break.
His tour saw him taking in the Premier League over the weekend, with a trip to the London Stadium to watch West Ham’s clash with Arsenal.
His focus in that game was on Alvarez, who joined West Ham in a €38m deal from Ajax in the summer and has been a key player for David Moyes’s side this season.
He arrived as part of the effort to replace Declan Rice and has proved to be worthy of his fee, quickly establishing himself in the Hammers’ new look midfield and putting in several impressive, note-worthy displays.
Sunday’s 6-0 defeat was not one of them as he only managed 45 minutes in the heavy, disappointing loss but his national manager was full of praise despite that.
“Edson Álvarez adapted very quickly; he quickly consolidated himself in a totally different system,” he said.
“The truth is I did not expect it, especially because we talked about him coming from a more associative league like Eredivisie and he came to be a reference in defending.
“His growth is admirable. I am happy, because we are also competing against the best in the world and that for the Mexican National Team is what we ask for.”
