Alex Kral is still happy to talk about his fond memories of West Ham United, even if those don’t always extend to David Moyes.
The midfielder joined Espanyol from Union Berlin on a loan deal in the summer window. He’s been speaking to AS, discussing various topics.
Since leaving Czech side FK Teplice in 2019, the 26-year-old has been at Spartak Moscow, West Ham, Schalke 04, Union Berlin and the La Liga side.
The Hammers and Schalke took the Czech Republic international on loan from the Russian club during the 2021/22 and 2022/23 seasons. The player is pleased to have experienced the Premier League, the Bundesliga and the La Liga so far in his career.
“I think I’ve really enjoyed these years, because I’ve been able to play in the Russian league, the Premier League, the Bundesliga and now La Liga. When you’re a kid you dream of playing in the big five and I’m going for the third,” he said,
“It is fascinating for me, but also for my family. We are living in beautiful cities, it is a beautiful life experience. I am 26 years old, and I have already enjoyed it a lot. And on top of that, playing football: it is a dream,” he said.
Kral is known for his long hair and was asked if he’ll cut it short should Espanyol swerve relegation.
“[laughs] I’ll never cut my hair, unless I need to. Not even for [Espanyol’s] permanence. I’ll never make a promise like that,” Kral replied.
The midfielder was limited to just over 250 minutes from six matches in all competitions for the Hammers. Despite this, he only has positive things to say about his time at West Ham.
When asked if he doesn’t want to settle down, he said: “I’m open to everything, but I’ll decide when the time comes. Anyway, I don’t take having been in so many clubs as a negative thing.
“I enjoyed every minute at West Ham, we played in the Europa League. With Schalke it was incredible, one of the clubs with the most fans in Germany and the world, with 62,000 spectators every week… even in the second division.
“At Union Berlin I played in the Champions League. And now I’m living the Espanyol experience in Barcelona, enjoying it.”
